The RBDCOV Project hosted its annual onsite Consortium Meeting on November 19 at Palau Macaya, bringing together partners to review the progress and achievements made during its final phase.
The meeting focused on sharing the latest advancements, including the presentation of promising safety and immunogenicity profiles from clinical trials conducted in adults with immunocompromising conditions and pediatric populations.
Achieving inclusivity in clinical trials remains a key aspect of the project, and partners discussed the ethical and technical challenges encountered in this process. Among the ethical considerations highlighted was the need for adjustments in pediatric trials to minimize blood sample requirements without compromising data quality.
The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) has played an instrumental role in the project, providing valuable input by reviewing materials, advising on clinical trial design, and enhancing communication strategies with patient communities.
A strong emphasis was placed on increasing the project’s visibility within the scientific community and fostering inclusivity in clinical trials—a cornerstone of RBDCOV’s mission.
Laura Ferrer, R&D Director of Human Health at HIPRA, emphasized the importance of scientific communication:
“We must ensure this project’s great results, especially for pediatric populations and immunocompromised individuals, gain visibility within the scientific community. As we’ve noted before, there’s a lack of published literature on this topic. This article, along with the ones to follow, will undoubtedly make a significant impact!”.
RBDCOV continues to drive progress in clinical research by addressing inclusivity and representativeness, setting a benchmark for ethical and effective practices in Europe and beyond.
The Science Café – Leave No One Behind! Fostering Inclusion in Clinical Trials
Taking advantage of the visit to Barcelona and the partners’ meeting, we held our first Scientific Coffee, an engaging debate that took place at the iconic Ateneu of Barcelona on the importance of inclusivity in clinical trials, with a focus on immunocompromised individuals and pediatric populations.
In this session, available on our YouTube channel in English and the original Spanish version, we explored the challenges and barriers to inclusion in clinical trials and discussed their impact on public health and treatment effectiveness. Dr. Beatriz Mothe Pujadas from IrsiCaixa, principal investigator of the HH-4 clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine focused on individuals with immunosuppressive conditions; Dr. Pere Soler-Palacín, Head of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit at Vall d’Hebron Children’s Hospital; Joan Tallada, member of the RBDCOV Community Advisory Board (CAP) and an active contributor to the European AIDS Treatment Group; and Dr. Petra Wülfroth, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at F4 Pharma and consortium partner in the Horizon Europe project COVend, shared their unique perspectives on this crucial topic.
At RBDCOV, we continue moving toward more inclusive and effective clinical research.
