Novavax vaccine over 90% effective in U.S. trial

Novavax Inc on Monday reported late-stage data from its U.S.-based clinical trial showing its vaccine is more than 90% effective against COVID-19 across a variety of variants of the virus.

Emer McCarthy reports.

Novavax reported late-stage data from its U.S.-based clinical trial on Monday (June 14), showing its vaccine is more than 90% effective against COVID-19 across a variety of variants of the virus.

The Maryland-based company said the study of nearly 30,000 volunteers in the United States and Mexico puts Novavax on track to file for emergency authorization in the U.S. and elsewhere in the third quarter this year.

Novavax's protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate was more than 93% effective against the predominant variants of COVID-19 that have been worrying scientists and public health officials.

It said that during the trial, the B.1.1.7 variant first discovered in Britain became the most common variant in the United States.

Head of research and development, Dr. Gregory Glenn, told Reuters that the company also detected variants first found in Brazil, South Africa, and India among its trial participants.

The vaccine was 91% effective among volunteers at high risk of severe infection and 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.

It was roughly 70% effective against COVID-19 variants that Novavax was unable to identify.

Novavax says it's on track to produce 100 million doses per month by the end of the third quarter of 2021 and 150 million doses per month in the fourth quarter of this year.

Back in May, Novavax said had begun its regulatory filing in India in partnership with the Serum Institute of India, which is contracted to make Novavax shots.