Large study found COVID-19 to be approximately 90% effective

Vaccine maker Novavax said in a large study conducted Monday in the United States and Mexico that its COVID-19 shots are highly effective against disease and protected against mutants. Said. Dose.

Two shot vaccine Preliminary data showed safety, according to a US biotechnology company, which makes the vaccine nearly comparable to Pfizer and Modana vaccines.

Demand for COVID-19 vaccination in the United States has fallen dramatically, with more than enough doses in the United States, but the need for more vaccines around the world remains important. The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccination. Vaccine supply In developing countries.

However, that support is still a few months away. The company plans to seek approval of shots in the United States, Europe and elsewhere by the end of September, and says it will be able to produce up to 100 million shots a month by then.

“Many of our initial doses are … low and Middle income country, And that was our first goal, “said Stanley Elk, CEO of Novavax.

More than half of the US population is vaccinated at least once, but in developing countries less than 1% are vaccinated once. Our world in the data..

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have already been approved for use in the United States and Europe. Europe also uses the AstraZeneca formula.

About 30,000 people over the age of 18 participated in the Novavax survey. Two-thirds received two vaccines every three weeks and the rest received dummy shots.

There were 77 COVID-19s, 14 of which were vaccinated groups and the rest were volunteer groups who received dummy shots. There were no moderate or severe illnesses in the vaccine group compared to 14 patients in the placebo group.

The vaccine was first detected in the United Kingdom and has several variants as well in high-risk populations, including those predominant in the United States and those with older ages and other health problems. Was effective against.

The side effects were mostly mild, tenderness and pain at the injection site. There were no reports of abnormal blood clots or heart problems, Erck said.

Novavax reported the results in a news release Medical journal, Will be reviewed by an independent expert. Based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the company has previously published small studies in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

The COVID-19 vaccine trains the body to recognize the coronavirus, especially the peplomer that covers it, and prepares it to fight the virus. The Novavax vaccine is made from a laboratory-grown copy of the protein. This is unlike some other vaccines that are widely used today. These vaccines contain genetic instructions for the body to produce its own pepsomer.

The Novavax vaccine can be stored in a standard refrigerator for easy distribution.

Novavax had previously announced production delays due to supply shortages. The company is currently aiming for 100 million monthly production by the end of September and 150 million monthly production by December.

The company has promised to supply the United States with 110 million doses and developing countries a total of 1.1 billion doses over the next year.

In May, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, the leader of the UN-backed COVAX project to provide vaccines to poor countries, announced that it had signed a contract to purchase 350 million Novavax formulations. COVAX faces a serious shortage of vaccines after India’s largest supplier stopped exporting until the end of the year.

Novavax has been working on vaccine development for over 30 years, but has not yet put it on the market. The research on the coronavirus vaccine is partially funded by the US government.

Dr. Peter English, a vaccine expert who previously belonged to the British Medical Association, called the Novabax results “great news.” According to English, vaccine production is complex and it is important to get as many vaccines as possible.

“Small defects in the production plant can cause production to stop for days or weeks,” he said in a statement. “The more manufacturers that make vaccines, the more vaccines are available. It’s more likely. “

He said the encouraging news was that Novabax could adapt its vaccine to varieties of potential future concern, if desired.

© 2021 Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.