Human challenge trials come of age as hVIVO lands world-first whooping cough contract

The signing of a pivotal phase III human challenge trial for a whooping cough vaccine marks a turning point not just for hVIVO PLC (AIM:HVO), but for the entire human challenge trial model as a credible route to regulatory approval. Until now, human challenge trials have largely been used in earlier-stage drug development, where exposing healthy volunteers to a pathogen under controlled conditions allows researchers to generate proof-of-concept efficacy data quickly and cheaply.