Albany’s link to groundbreaking COVID-19 vaccine hunt

Albany-raised Jayden Rogers is at the helm of a Perth-based research company tasked with leading a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind human COVID-19 vaccine trial. Linear Clinical Research revealed on Tuesday it would be carrying out human trials to test vaccine candidate COVID-19 S-Trimer, developed by Chinese-based Clover Biopharmaceuticals. Mr Rogers, Linear Clinical Research’s chief executive, said the potential vaccine was one of the first in the world to enter a clinical trial phase with human volunteers. “This is the first trial for this type of vaccine ... what’s unique about this particular trial is the technology, the protein-based technology, you don’t have to give individuals a form of the virus, which is one type of testing,” Mr Rogers said. “The way that this vaccine works is there’s a platform technology where it creates very specific shape of protein. Fortunately this shape of protein that they can create mimics the shape of the coronavirus protein on the outside called the spike protein. “So you inject individuals with the vaccine protein shape, it trains the immune system to recognise it, and in the event it sees coronavirus in the future, the immune system can then respond again.” Linear Clinical Research is looking for 90 healthy participants aged between 18 and 55, along with an additional 48 volunteers over 55 to start the trials as early as June. From there, in stage one of the trials, Mr Rogers and his team aim to develop an understanding of the safety and tolerability of the vaccine, as well as how the subject’s immune system responds to it. If successful, a bigger phase two and three clinical trial involving thousands of people around the world would be conducted immediately. “From our perspective, we’ll be following the subjects up for about two years,” Mr Rogers said. “Making vaccines is a very complex process, the fastest we’ve done it in the past is four years. We’re trying to do it in 18 months here, but look, these are unprecedented times.” After spending his early childhood in the Wheatbelt and Jerramungup, Mr Rogers moved to Albany at the age of seven. He completed his schooling in Albany then moved to Perth for university. He collected sporting accolades in Albany, including back-to-back Colts best and fairest honours with the Railways Football Club and a premiership with the Collingwood Park Cricket Club. “It was great growing up in Albany — great friends, very fond memories,” he said.