Can a booster shot and lowered immune drugs protect transplant patients from COVID?
NCT ID NCT05077254
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether giving an extra dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) to kidney and liver transplant recipients could boost their antibody levels. Some participants also temporarily reduced their immunosuppressive medications to see if that helped the vaccine work better. The trial enrolled 48 adults who had a transplant at least a year ago and had low antibody levels after their initial vaccine series.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) with or without reduction of standard immunosuppressive drugs (mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a strategy to improve vaccine protection in transplant patients who are at high risk for severe COVID-19.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase study with only 48 participants, so results may not apply to all transplant recipients. Reducing immunosuppression carries a risk of organ rejection.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Emory Healthcare
Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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Houston Methodist
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research: Broadway Adult Outpatient Clinical Research Unit
Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
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Mt. Sinai Hospital
New York, New York, 10029, United States
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NYU Langone Transplant Institute
New York, New York, 10016, United States
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois, 60208, United States
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Ochsner Health
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70121, United States
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University of California San Francisco Health
San Francisco, California, 94143, United States
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University of California, San Diego
San Diego, California, 92093, United States
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University of Illinois Health
Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
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University of Iowa Hospitals
Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, United States
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
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Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, 10065, United States