Chicago safety net hospital plans to test new COVID-19 vaccines

Loretto Hospital is among sites that will test new COVID-19 vaccine candidates early next year, with the goal of ensuring minorities are represented in clinical trials.

The West Side safety-net hospital, which treats large numbers of Black and Brown patients, aims to improve racial and ethnic diversity among study subjects. In addition to being disproportionately affected by the pandemic, people of color historically have been underrepresented in clinical trials.

“Too often in our past, we’ve seen vaccines or drug regimens come to market that didn’t work as expected on minority populations, because they weren’t appropriately tested on these groups,” Dr. Lois Clarke, Loretto’s director of clinical research, said in a statement. “If we, as a community, want to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s time to step up and make sure we’re being representatively included in the trials.”

Black and Hispanic people are dying from the virus at higher rates than white people, according to the CDC. Industry observers say clinical trial enrollment should reflect COVID’s disproportionate impact on minorities. 

“To further promote and protect public health, it is important that people who are in clinical trials represent the populations most likely to use the potential medical product,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said recently while providing guidance to enhance diversity in clinical trials and medical product development. 

Loretto expects to begin testing three potential COVID-19 vaccines as early as February. A representative for the hospital declined to name the drugmakers behind the candidates, but a source familiar with the impending trial said at least one is manufactured by Merck.

A representative for Merck confirmed it's working with the hospital..

The hospital is partnering with Oak Brook-based Affinity Health, which acts as a liaison between drug manufacturers and hospitals coordinating clinical trials. Loretto also has worked with Affinity on previous studies related to sickle cell and heart disease.