Redding-based clinical research center helps combat flu, RSV and COVID-19
by Mike Mangas, Adam Robinson – Monday, October 31st 2022
REDDING, Calif. — A Redding-based clinical research center is helping combat communicable diseases like COVID-19, RSV, and the flu to name just a few.
Paradigm Clinical Research was started in Redding in 2009 and now has sites in the San Diego and Denver, Colo. areas, with plans to expand to three more locations in the next year.
They enroll volunteers to research the effectiveness of vaccines.
“They either receive an RSV vaccine or a placebo. They don’t know; we don’t know. It’s bonded data. Essentially, we draw their blood, we send it to a central lab, and they’re checking antibodies to check to see if the vaccine is efficacious. And we don’t get data of that until after the study ends,” said Sarah Sandberg, the center’s site manager.
Volunteers do it for different reasons; there’s a small stipend. But, for someone like registered nurse Dawn Smith, it’s because she’s seen patients die unnecessarily.
“I am an RN, and I have observed, participated [in], and witnessed patients who have not been able to, or not educated to, have immunizations. And that gap has caused dire consequences in our community,” Dawn told Mike during an interview on Monday.
“I get [that] it’s for the research purposes. Not only does it further the research [on] the last vaccine, which was for COVID-19—that was Moderna. It’s helped out a lot; got the vaccine out to people a lot quicker. And, also, there’s the money factor. It helps out having a little extra money in your pocket,” said Mike Woodward, another research volunteer.
Although they have a healthy database, Paradigm is always looking for more volunteers on any number of research projects.
“We’re currently doing a flu vaccine study. It’s an mRNA-based flu vaccine for Pfizer. The placebo is the marketed flu vaccine. And that’s 18 and older. We just started enrolling for the full age group today,” Clinical Research Coordinator Emily Crews.