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Novavax Says Its Shots Hold Up Against Concerning Variants

he Covid-19 vaccine created by Novavax is safe and 90% effective, according to data the company released Monday, citing rates similar to those of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

(CN) — The Covid-19 vaccine created by Novavax is safe and 90% effective, according to data the company released Monday, citing rates similar to those of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. 

The promising results came from a study of nearly 30,000, conducted in the United States and Mexico. 

Novavax, a Maryland-based biotechnology company, gave its two-shot vaccine regimen to two-thirds of participants and injected the remainder with a pair of placebo shots. 

Against the predominantly circulating variants of concern and of interest, the vaccine was 93% effective, while the company touted 100% efficacy against variants that are not considered concerning by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

No hospitalizations or deaths occurred in the group that got the vaccine in the trial. 

Mild side effects, like pain at the injection site, were reported in the study, as well as headaches and chills, as are common with the vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. The company did not see unusual blood clots or heart problems. 

Americans are facing more problems with demand than supply; the country’s daily rates of vaccination have dropped in the past weeks, and experts are unsure whether President Joe Biden’s goal of getting 70% of adults at least one shot by July 4 is still within reach. 

In many parts of the world, there is still a crucial need for more doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Novavax said it aims to target low- and middle-income countries. 

"Novavax continues to work with a sense of urgency to complete our regulatory submissions and deliver this vaccine, built on a well understood and proven platform, to a world that is still in great need of vaccines," said Stanley C. Erck, president and CEO of Novavax. 

The company plans to file for authorizations in the U.S. and Europe in the third quarter of the year, after validating its results. Assuming the vaccine is authorized, the company said it is on track to manufacture 100 million doses by the end of September. 

Over the next year, the company has pledged to ramp up its production, providing more than a billion doses to developing countries.

Estimates factor in manufacturing delays that the company said were caused by restrictions on raw materials being shipped in from overseas.

“That’s opening up,” Erck said Monday, noting that the company has stocked up enough materials to keep factories running for several weeks, while its stash previously accounted for just one week of materials.

Looking ahead, Novavax could be a key player in booster vaccines as the initial wave of vaccination ceases to do its job. A study in Britain is looking at which vaccines make the best booster shot, and AP reported that Novavax could become a “universal booster,” thanks to its high rates of effectiveness and mild side effects. 

The vaccine is also easy to store and transport, kept at refrigeration levels like Johnson & Johnson's one-dose shot. The mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna must be kept at ultra-low freezing temperatures to stay viable, leaving distribution issues that hinder rollout in more rural parts of the world. 

Dr. Gregory M. Glenn, president of research and development at Novavax, spoke to the vaccine’s protection against variants as the virus continues to mutate.

"These data show consistent, high levels of efficacy and reaffirm the ability of the vaccine to prevent Covid-19 amid ongoing genetic evolution of the virus,” Glenn said in a statement. “Our vaccine will be a critical part of the solution to Covid-19.”

Dr. Peter English, a vaccine expert who formerly worked at the British Medical Association, said the Novavax results were “excellent news.”

“Any minor imperfection in the production plant can shut down the production for days or weeks,” English said in a statement to AP. “The more different manufacturers we have producing vaccine, the more likely it is we will have availability of vaccines.”

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Categories / Health, Science

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