The vaccines had to first undergo clinical trials using volunteers, but to do so safely, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer asked Texas BioMed for its help. However, Schlesinger said the work at Texas BioMed isn’t over. “We’re understanding how our animal models perform with regard to the variants,” he said. Schlesinger said it’s also identifying and validating animal models that are essential for testing new therapies and more vaccines. AdTexas BioMed is working with up to 30 companies performing clinical studies and validations recognized by the FDA, Schlesinger said.