I stumbled upon such an interesting advertisement. The company is recruiting volunteers for COVID vaccine trials, using a photo of GAM-COVID-VAC by Gamaleya in the ad. They promise to pay up to $1220. I decided to register and see what happens next. I answered a dozen standard questions and booked a slot for a video call—literally the next morning.
The company that collects volunteers is Acurian Health. During registration, there was no information about the actual study; I received that later by mail. They are testing a new vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics, under the code names LUNAR-COV19 and ARCT-021. So, it’s definitely not Sputnik. A big question to Acurian, of course, is why they use random images in advertising. I’m sure that even “up to $1220” is plucked out of thin air.
In the docs they sent, there is no $1220 amount. If I decide to participate, they compensate my time for phone sessions – $25 per session, which adds up to $250, assuming all sessions are by phone. But it’s not the case—they require several blood donations at least. They compensate $50 for each visit to an actual clinic without blood donation or $100 with a donation. There’s also $150 for a dosing visit, which probably takes more time, and another $150 for unplanned visits. Up to 10 visits to the clinic in total, so $1220 is likely their “maximum” compensation. Yes, they pay for transport to the clinic (taxi, for example). If something goes wrong and my insurance refuses to cover it, the study organizers will take on the expenses. Treatment is only at clinics involved in the research. No maximum amount is specified.
Today I spoke with a representative of the group collecting volunteers for ARCT-021. The main concern for me, of course, is safety and then effectiveness. I immediately refused, as I had planned from the start, because participating in the second phase (there have only been 70 people before me), with a 25% chance of ending up in what seems to me a small group of unvaccinated people for more than a year… The study lasts 14 months, and if they inject me with a placebo, or if the real vaccine is not effective enough… I did not have any doubts.
Now about the terms of participation. The attached documents indicate that they plan to recruit 600 people from the USA and Singapore—countries where Arcturus is present. 15 clinics, they pay for a trip to the nearest clinic. They promise at least 10 visits. They administer three injections. The second one—a month later, and the third—half a year later. They provide a ruler, a diary, and a digital thermometer. I will need to measure something and record it every day for 14 months.
The company pays any costs associated with the study, including treatment of complications if they arise.
About the mRNA vaccine LUNAR-COV19/ARCT-021 itself. It is based on self-replicating mRNA. Synthetic pieces of the coronavirus genetic code are created at Arcturus using their mRNA synthesis technology STARR, after which they are injected into the body in a lipid emulsion LUNAR (so-called lipid-mediated delivery, lipid nanoparticles). Why self-replicating—it differs from Pfizer and Moderna vaccines—the viral RNA fragments begin to “replicate” inside the body, which potentially makes the vaccine more effective (but also increases risks for patients if something is not well thought out). The virus itself does not replicate, of course, we are talking only about proteins. It is claimed that antibodies to the spike protein are produced as early as the 19th day after the minimal dose (0.2 mcg), and their levels in response to its single introduction are produced for 50 days—both parameters are higher than those of vaccines on the market.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04480957
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 