The Effectiveness Is More Than 90 Percent, Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine Is Ready To Be Produced

Covavax vaccine research. (Wikimedia Commons/Maryland GovPics)

JAKARTA - COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Novavax Inc., said its vaccine has an effectiveness rate of more than 90 percent against various virus variants, based on reports in the final stages of clinical trials.

In a report issued Monday, June 14, the study involved 30.000 volunteers in the United States and Mexico. With this late-stage clinical trial, Novavax is poised to obtain emergency authorization for use in the United States and other countries in the third quarter of 2021.

Novavax said its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate has an effectiveness rate of more than 93 percent against the dominant variant of COVID-19, which has become a concern among scientists and public health officials.

Protein-based vaccines are the conventional approach, using purified viral fragments to stimulate an immune response, as vaccines for cough and herpes zoster also use this approach.

During the trial, the B1.1.7 variant, which was first discovered in the UK, became the most common variant in the US, Novavax said.

"Novavax also detected the COVID-19 variant that was first discovered in Brazil, South Africa, and India among its trial participants", Novavax's head of research and development, Dr. Gregory Glenn, told Reuters.

Glen explained that his vaccine was 91 percent effective among volunteers at high risk of severe infection, and 100 percent effective in preventing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19. It is also 70 percent effective against Novavax's unidentifiable variant of COVID-19.

"In practical terms, it is very important that vaccines protect against viruses that roam wild in terms of new variants", Glenn said.

Novavax said the vaccine was generally well-tolerated among the participants. Side effects include headache, fatigue, and muscle aches and are generally mild. A small number of participants experienced more severe side effects.

Along with these results, Novavax is continuing with plans to produce 100 million doses per month by the end of the third quarter of 2021 and 150 million doses per month by the fourth quarter of 2021.

The Maryland-based, United States company has repeatedly pushed back production estimates and has struggled to access the raw materials and equipment needed to make its vaccine.

At an investor meeting last month, Novavax Chief Executive Stanley Erck said all facilities owned by the company could produce COVID-19 vaccines on a commercial scale.

Erck also said that Novavax had started the process of working in partnership with the Serum Institute of India, which was contracted to make Novavax's vaccine after there was no longer a shortage of raw materials.