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WASHINGTON: US biotech firm Novavax said Thursday (September 25) that it is starting the third and final stage of a clinical trial for its potential COVID-19 vaccine.
The trial will take place in the UK and aims to enroll 10,000 volunteers, aged 18 to 84, with and without underlying illnesses, over the next four to six weeks.
“With a high level of SARS-CoV-2 transmission observed and expected to continue in the UK, we are optimistic that this pivotal phase 3 clinical trial will be quickly enrolled and provide a short-term insight into the efficacy of NVX-CoV2373, “Gregory said. Glenn, the company’s president of research and development, used the technical name for the formulation.
It is the 11th COVID-19 vaccine candidate to reach Phase 3 globally.
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The US government has awarded the company $ 1.6 billion to develop and finance the drug, which is administered via two intramuscular injections.
The Maryland-based company uses insect cells to grow synthesized pieces of the virus’s spike protein, which it hopes will evoke a robust human immune response.
It also uses an “adjuvant”, a compound that stimulates the production of neutralizing antibodies.
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The company says the drug, which is a liquid formulation, can be stored between 2 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius.
In the spring, the company said it had tested the efficacy of a seasonal flu vaccine it had developed using the same technology.
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