We talk to...

Dr. Àlex Soriano, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. He is a specialist in Internal Medicine and received his PhD from the Universitat de Barcelona in 2006. His scientific contribution focuses on the treatment and management of bacteraemias, infections in Intensive Care Units and infections related to orthopaedic implants. During the pandemic, Dr. Soriano played a key role in the development of the antiviral remdesivir for the treatment of patients with coronavirus.

Throughout his professional career, Àlex Soriano has written more than 400 articles in national and international journals with more than 12,000 citations.  

Dr. Soriano, together with his team at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, has collaborated in the development of HIPRA's COVID-19 vaccine.

• What has it meant for you to participate in the HIPRA vaccine development project?

We, and Hospital Clínic in particular, are a hospital closely linked to everything that represents innovation and progress in medicine. In this sense, it was extremely important for us to participate in what could be, and finally was, the first vaccine of our own design in our country. For us, therefore, it has been a challenge and at the same time a source of pride.

• What are the highlights of the process?

I think that during the whole process, we can distinguish two moments. The most exciting, on the one hand, was the moment when we started with the first volunteers and when we administered the vaccine for the first time. Fortunately, in that initial study, which we know as phase 1, the response was very good, the patients tolerated it very well and that was a very exciting moment indeed.  

On the other hand, the most important moment was undoubtedly when we received the communication from HIPRA to tell us the news that the vaccine had been definitively approved for use in humans.

• How would you describe the project?

We could define the project as a whole as a team effort, both internally within the hospital, as well as the collaboration it has represented with many other colleagues and also of course with HIPRA.

• What importance have you attached to this project?

At Hospital Clínic we develop large-scale projects. Currently, for example, in advanced therapies.  But this has undoubtedly been and still is one of the major milestones in which we have been able to feel clearly involved, and we can therefore classify it as one of the main projects carried out by the hospital.

• What has the relationship with HIPRA been like?

The relationship with HIPRA has always been very easy, we have been in contact at all times because obviously throughout this time there have been, as is logical, difficulties and better and worse moments in this sense, but at all times we have always had a fluid dialogue and communication that has always made the work much easier.

• What are the elements that have made it possible for this work to go ahead?

The key to having confidence in this project and in everything going well has been a mixture of, on the one hand, HIPRA's experience in the development of vaccines in the veterinary field and, on the other hand, the experience of the Hospital Clínic and all the centres that have participated in the development of the clinical trials. And, of course, everyone's interest in moving this project forward.

• What is the importance of public-private collaboration?

This project has been a clear example of the importance of collaboration between public institutions, which are dedicated to research, and private entities, such as HIPRA. This combination of the public and private sectors will surely lead to many other advances and progresses in the future.

• How many people have been involved in the project?

Ten people from Hospital Clínic have participated directly in this project, in addition to many other people who, within the centre itself, have collaborated indirectly.

• Who do we have to thank for the success of the project?

The recruitment of volunteers has undoubtedly been one of the key elements in the success of this project. Therefore, the first thing we must do is to thank all the volunteers, as we have always found the acceptance of the population and their interest in collaborating and participating. Undoubtedly, it is to them that we owe the success of this project.