USA’s Novavax announces Phase 3 clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine

US biotech firm Novavax on Thursday said that it was entering the final leg of its Phase 3 clinical trial for its coronavirus vaccine, reported news agency AFP.

Carried out in the United Kingdom, the trial intends to enroll 10,000 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 24 over the next four to six weeks. They should have no underlying health conditions.

“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 enroll quickly and provide a near-term view of NVX-CoV2373’s efficacy,” Gregory Glenn, the company’s president of research and development, was quoted as saying. 

NVX-CoV2373 is the clinical name of the vaccine.

It is the eleventh COVID-19 vaccine candidate to reach the Phase 3 stage globally.

The company has been awarded $1.6 billion by the US government to develop and fund the vaccine, which is administered by two intramuscular injections.

The Maryland-based company uses insect cells to grow synthesized pieces of the spike protein of the virus, which it hopes will evoke a robust human immune response.

It also uses an “adjuvant,” a compound that boosts the production of neutralizing antibodies.

The company says the drug, which is a liquid formulation, can be stored at two degrees celsius to eight degrees celsius, refrigerator temperature.

In the spring, the company said it had proven the efficacy of a seasonal flu vaccine it had developed using the same technology