Novavax, a US-based biotechnology company, has issued the preliminary findings of phase-III clinical trials of its Coronavirus vaccine, claiming that the vaccine offers overall 90% protection against COVID-19 and its different variants.
The company will now seek Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If everything goes as planned, Novavax will become the fourth COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the US. The other three approved vaccines are developed by Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (J&J).
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According to details, Novavax enrolled 30,000 volunteers across the US and Mexico for the phase-III clinical trials. The vaccine was 91% effective in preventing severe infection in high-risk volunteers and 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19 infection.
During the trial, Novavax also detected COVID-19 variants that first emerged in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, and India among the volunteers. The vaccine was 93% effective against the predominant COVID-19 variants that have been a cause of concern worldwide.
No major side-effects were reported as the vaccine was well tolerated by the volunteers during the phase-III clinical trials. Only minor side-effects were reported which include headache, fatigue, and muscle pain.
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Novavax has ramped up production following the phase-III clinical trials as the company plans to manufacture 100 million doses monthly by the end of September and 150 million doses monthly by December.
The company has also pledged 110 million doses to the US in 2022 and a total of 1.1 billion doses to developing countries under COVAX, a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by GAVI.
