El Paso research clinic seeks volunteers for new Covid-19 ‘vaccine alternative’ antibody treatment

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Medical Research Institute is looking to sign up volunteers for a new Covid-19 antibody treatment that could provide protection from the virus for several months.

The research clinic will begin signing up volunteers next week.

"[The treatment] consists of two, long-acting antibodies that can last and give immunity for up to 12 months," said Dr. Jose Burgos, the director of El Paso Medical Research Institute. "Once the vaccine is available, not everybody will be a candidate. There are people that will have conditions that will prevent them from getting the full benefit of the vaccine. This will be a very good alternative.”

Dr. Burgos said the treatment was developed by researchers at Vanderbilt University. The treatment is in a Phase III Clinical Trial.

Volunteers receive two shots spaced a few weeks apart. Dr. Burgos said initial data is promising, with participants developing antibodies almost immediately after the shot is administered.

"Some people call it a vaccine, but it’s a vaccine alternative really, it doesn’t have the same principles as a regular vaccine,” he said. "The trial is called Provent. It is a multi-national trial. It’s going on right now in other countries."

Since Provent is not a vaccine, participants in the trial could still choose to receive a Covid-19 vaccine once it is available to them.

El Paso Medical Research Institute was one of 100 different locations selected to participate in the trial nationwide.

"We will follow every patient involved and enrolled in the trial for up to a year. We will be doing labs. We will be making sure that if they get the infection, we will see them early," Dr. Burgos said. "We will track their immune response. we will follow everyone closely who is involved in the trial.”

The research clinic is looking for volunteers over the age of 18 who have not contracted Covid-19.

Provent is different from other antibody treatments because it seeks to prevent people from getting sick with Covid-19, rather than treating those who contract the virus.

Dr. Burgos said there's also another key advantage to this treatment compared to vaccines. It does not need to be stored in extremely cold temperatures. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at close to -100°F.

Not all participants in the vaccine will be receiving the actual medication. Thirty percent of participants will receive a placebo.

"It’s an open-enrollment trial. We’re trying to benefit as many people as possible," Dr. Burgos said.

Dr. Burgos added that no major side effects have been associated thus far with Provent.

"The safety data that we have from the medication, the side effects that we may be looking at is just an allergic reaction, which can happen with absolutely any type of injected medication," he said.

Anyone interested in signing up for the trial can contact El Paso Medical Research Institute at (915) 307-4669.