PHARMExcel presents vaccine study learnings at World Congress 2025

PHARMExcel CEO and Founder Yvanne Enever will be presenting a workshop at the World Vaccine Congress in Amsterdam. Yvanne will be covering an important topic for vaccine development, vaccine trials and vaccine research as a whole: How do we use the experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic and trials after to conceive a model for Future-Ready Vaccine Trials – which will translate into faster innovation for infectious disease vaccine research and oncology vaccine research in particular.

Essential lessons in vaccine research from COVID-19

During the pandemic, vaccine development and clinical trials had to be expedited without sacrificing patient safety and quality, and the way that this was achieved was exceptional. Yvanne experienced this through her hands-on involvement with the landmark COVBoost trial  which PHARMExcel managed with partner University of Southampton. The Phase 2 Clinical trial, which included 18 UK sites and 2878 participants commenced in a record time of 4 weeks and secured Ethics, HRA and MHRA regulatory approvals within 7 days. The entire study, from briefing to delivering the results to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was only 5 months. This strict deadline was necessary because the JCVI needed the data to inform policy strategy, for a time sensitive COVID vaccine booster programme.

PHARMExcel achieved these extraordinary results by implementing agile methodologies and smart ways of sharing information between multiple stakeholders. In addition, innovations like rolling reviews and remote research site approval ensured that deadlines could be met without sacrificing compliance requirements. PHARMExcel cemented itself as a specialist CRO in UK vaccine clinical trials for infectious diseases as a result of COVBoost. Yvanne and her team continue to implement the learnings and best practices from this trial, for the clinical trials that they deliver for their clients and they are still motivated by what they were able to achieve during that time.

Watch this video to learn more about how the landmark COVBoost trial came together as the result of sheer determination and inspiring teamwork from PHARMExcel. Head of Clinical Operations, Margaret Irwin tells the story brilliantly.

CRO drives partnership and collaboration for vaccine trials

The question which we as innovators and stakeholders in the life sciences sector should be asking ourselves is: How do we ensure that a similar level of urgency and a spirit of innovation endure, to develop vaccines that will save lives and continue to drive innovation forward. Ultimately the answer is that we need to be focused on what the results of our research and projects can mean for patients and then use our skills and experience to plan and implement as though their lives depend on it – because (like during the pandemic), they do. This is how PHARMExcel has always framed its purpose and will continue to do so.

Yvanne Enever will aim to provide more practical answers to this question in her workshop at the World Vaccine Congress. She will be presenting together with Prof. Saul Faust, Professor of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Southampton, and Co-Director of the Wessex CRDC. The pair will unpack how a CRO–Academic partnership model, like the COVBoost trial example, offers a replicable UK blueprint for future-ready vaccine trials. Enever and Faust partnered on the landmark COVBoost study, which delivered exceptional results in terms of efficiency, quality and turnaround time, as mentioned above.

Academic-CRO partnership for vaccine trials: key aspects of the UK vaccine blueprint

Enever and Faust will argue that these learnings from COVID-19, provide a replicable UK blueprint for future-ready vaccine trials. If these steps and principles are implemented for your next research study or project you will be significantly closer to achieving your goal of successful clinical trial delivery:

• Embedding speed and resilience as routine practice, without compromising quality or compliance. If we act with urgency and push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of turnaround times and work collaboratively, we can deliver innovation faster.
• Harnessing CRO leadership as a catalyst for governance, operational efficiency, and regulatory agility is key. Having a specialist CRO to lead clinical trials for infectious diseases and oncology studies ensures that clinical trials are implemented strategically and objectives are met.
• Maximising academic and NHS synergies to expand patient access, enhance trial diversity, and strengthen scientific rigour. Partnering with the NHS – or working with a CRO that has invaluable NHS relationships and experience, ensures that clinical trials can be delivered on a level and scale that truly drives innovation.
• When adapting to unique circumstances or regulatory environments beyond the UK, the UK Vaccine learnings are still relevant, because the same underlying principles apply: identifying the practical steps, partnership models, and infrastructures that can accelerate your vaccine and therapeutic studies are key.

If you are curious to explore this topic further or learn more about the how the learnings from COVBoost could be applied to your next clinical trial, reach out to the PHARMExcel team. We’d love to work with you to deliver your innovation.

You can find out more about our work in delivering infectious diseases and oncology studies in the links below, or we would be happy to talk through our experience with you in a meeting.