Novavax Claims Positive Results From Early Trials Of Combination Covid/Flu Vaccine

On Wednesday, Maryland-based vaccine producer Novavax launched preliminary outcomes from an early scientific part research of its mixture Covid/flu vaccine. The outcomes discovered that the mix vaccine produced immune responses in sufferers that have been corresponding to these of its standalone flu and Covid vaccines. The corporate additionally discovered the vaccine formulation to be protected, with principally gentle unwanted effects.

“We’re inspired by these knowledge and the potential path ahead for a mix Covid-19-influenza vaccine in addition to stand-alone vaccines for influenza and Covid-19,” Gregory Glenn, Novavax’s president of R&D mentioned in an announcement.

Novavax’s vaccine differs from the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna. Its vaccines use nanoparticles that mimic proteins from the coronavirus or influenza virus (or each, within the case of the mix vaccine). The nanoparticles are injected into sufferers together with an adjuvant, which is a chemical that helps stimulate the immune system, which causes the sufferers to develop antibodies in opposition to Covid and flu.

The corporate’s flu vaccine is at the moment in part 3 trials. At a media briefing on Wednesday morning, Novavax’s chief medical officer Filip Dubovsky mentioned knowledge from these trials thus far present larger antibody responses for sufferers with Novavax’s vaccine in opposition to a number of strains of flu in comparison with sufferers who obtained an accredited flu vaccine. Full efficacy knowledge was not introduced, however Dubovsky highlighted equally excessive antibody responses in opposition to H3N2 flu strains, which present vaccines have low efficacy in opposition to.

Novavax’s Covid vaccine has been licensed to be used in over 40 international locations around the globe, together with the EU and most recently Japan. The corporate utilized for emergency authorization with the FDA in January. Though the inventory has been trending downward as Covid restrictions proceed to carry in most locations around the globe, Jefferies analysts Roger Music and Xiangyu Ma factor wrote in a report Tuesday that issues for the corporate’s long-term prospects are “0overstated,” as they see Covid turning into “an endemic illness requiring efficient/tolderated common vaccination.”

The following step for the mix Covid/flu vaccine might be a part 2 scientific trial, which Dubovsky says ought to start by the tip of this yr. That trial might be aimed in the direction of optimizing the best dose for the Covid and flu antigens, in addition to the best dose for the adjuvant. Following a profitable part 2, a part 3 trial can be timed for a flu season, hopefully in 2023, although Dubovsky admits this will depend upon what the present Covid state of affairs appears like, as Covid mitigation measures have slowed down the circulation of influenza for the previous two years.

For Dubovsky, the important thing benefit of the mix vaccine is that it requires much less materials than two separate photographs would. So if the trials pan out and the mix vaccine goes available on the market, he says, that “permits us to fabricate many extra doses so we will attain extra lives.”

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