Novavax vaccine against COVID-19 shows 90% effectiveness

Maryland. A new vaccine against COVID-19 is approaching the finish line, after Novavax reported on Thursday that its product prevented hospitalizations and deaths during tests in Britain and South Africa, where mutations are circulating. coronavirus.

In a study of 15,000 people in Britain, Novavax inoculation showed 90% effectiveness against mild, moderate and severe cases of COVID-19, the company reported.

Of 106 confirmed diseases, 10 were in people who received the vaccine and 96 in participants who were given a placebo.

Only five of the cases were severe, all in the placebo group. Four of them were caused by a more contagious variant that was discovered in Britain.

Novavax determined that the vaccine had a 96% effectiveness in combating symptomatic diseases caused by the original virus, and 86% against the mutation.

In South Africa, an even more worrying variant is spreading rapidly. Novavax studied nearly 3,000 people in the country, some of whom are living with HIV. The company noted that the vaccine was 55% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 among non-HIV volunteers. As in Britain, the only serious cases occurred among participants who received the placebo.

“The big picture is that our vaccine works against variants,” Novavax CEO said. Stanley Erck.

Erck added that he plans to file an application with UK health authorities in the early second quarter for approval of widespread use of the vaccine. The company is also awaiting the results of a study of 30,000 people in the United States.