The National Institutes of Health has started a study to test whether a temporary reduction in immunosuppressive medication among organ transplant recipients leads to a better antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination.
The trial will enroll participants — kidney and liver transplant recipients — who did not generate a detectable antibody response after two to four doses of Pfizer or Moderna's mRNA vaccine, according to a Jan. 31 news release. Researchers will analyze whether temporarily reducing immunosuppressive medication taken during the days before and after an additional dose safely allows for stronger antibody responses to vaccination.
"Eliciting a protective immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in some organ transplant recipients continues to be a challenge," said Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "We are concerned about protecting everyone from COVID-19 and therefore continue to develop and test new approaches to make vaccination effective for all organ transplant recipients."
Researchers plan to enroll 400 adults who received a kidney or liver transplant at least one year before enrollment.
To learn more, click here.