Indiana University School of Medicine to Hold Vaccine Trials
The state of Indiana is about to become an epicenter for COVID-19 vaccine development as Indiana University School of Medicine will be the home to a groundbreaking Phase III trial for a leading vaccine candidate. AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, announced Thursday that it has selected IU as a test site and research partner for their clinical trial.
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus in March, IU has dedicated significant resources to helping its communities, state, and nation address the pandemic head on. Whether that’s through helping local communities establish rural health networks, conducting a statewide study for the Indiana State Department of Health, or conducting research on the efficacy of convalescent therapies such as plasma transfusions and hydroxychloroquine, we’ve focused our expertise on supporting those who have long supported us.
Now, IU has another chance to make huge strides in the fight against the virus. The Phase III clinical trial of AZD1222 is the last required stage of study before the potential vaccine can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for widespread public use. This vaccine is one of only four potential COVID-19 vaccines in Phase III testing in the United States, and the only clinical trial taking place in Indiana. Through the IU School of Medicine, Hoosiers around the state will have the opportunity to contribute to this vital research.
Led by Dr. Cynthia Brown, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the IU School of Medicine, the trial will enroll up to 1,500 volunteers within eight weeks of site activation in early September. Participants in the study must be over 18, have had no positive COVID-19 test, and be working in an environment with a heightened risk of contracting the virus. Those interested in participating in the study can sign up to receive updates by joining the All IN for Health volunteer registry. Volunteers from across the state are welcome.
As the largest medical school in the United States, IU School of Medicine has always been a leader in research and healthcare. Now it stands to once again lead the nation and world in helping to end this pandemic.
Indiana University is the Largest Educator of Hooisers
Indiana University continues to educate more Indiana residents than any other college or university in the state, as its student body becomes more diverse and prepares itself to meet the state’s critical health and economic development needs.
As of August 31, the official IU census day for fall semester, 70% of the 90,090 degree-seeking students enrolled at IU campuses are Indiana residents. The 62,992 Hooiser students are, by far, the largest total of Indiana residents enrolled at any college or university. IU now serves more than 110,000 students total across the state when non-degree-seeking students are included. This number includes thousands of high school students taking dual-credit courses--the largest number of any university in the state.
Perhaps more importantly, in a year in which many pundits were predicting huge declines in college enrollments as a result of the pandemic, all of IU’s campuses hit their enrollment targets this fall. Compared to last year, IU's numbers have remained relatively stable in terms of enrollments and credit hours being taken. Additionally, IU has seen record enrollment among those attending an IU campus to pursue a professional education in fields that are vital to improving the health and wellbeing of Hoosier communities, such as medicine and dentistry.
More information about IU's fall enrollment numbers can be found here.
Indiana University Completes Arrival Testing
Indiana University completed over 39,000 COVID-19 tests as students returned to our campuses over the last two weeks. When classes started on August 24th, the university’s positivity rate was 1%, a prevalence in line with our expectation and two statewide studies, which were led by IUPUI and the Indiana State Department of Health.
Fortified with the effective completion of our arrival-testing, IU has transitioned to the next step of its multi-tiered, comprehensive testing program: mitigation testing. Mitigation testing allows IU to identify infected individuals, including those who are asymptomatic, before larger outbreaks occur.
In an effort to quickly and transparently share those numbers, IU has launched a COVID-19 dashboard that is updated weekly with comprehensive test results and data both aggregated and individually for each campus. The dashboard provides easy access to IU’s regularly updated testing data.
