Novavax vaccine 96% effective against original coronavirus, 86% vs British variant in UK trial

Fintech Zoom ^ | 04/04/2021 | Alex Lowe

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Novavax Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine was 96% effective in preventing cases caused by the original version of the coronavirus in a late-stage trial conducted in the United Kingdom, the company said on Thursday, moving it a step closer to regulatory approval.

There were no cases of severe illness or deaths among those who got the vaccine, the company said, in a sign that it could stop the worse effects of new variants that have cropped up.

The vaccine was 86% effective in protecting against the more contagious virus variant first discovered and now prevalent in the United Kingdom, for a combined 90% effectiveness rate overall based on data from infections of both versions of the coronavirus.

Novavax shares jumped 22% in after-hours trading to $229. They were trading below $10 on Jan. 21, 2020, when the company announced it was developing a coronavirus vaccine.

In a smaller trial conducted in South Africa – where volunteers were primarily exposed to another newer, more contagious variant widely circulating there and spreading around the world – the Novavax vaccine was 55% effective, based on people without HIV, but still fully prevented severe illness.

Novavax Chief Medical Officer Filip Dubovsky said the performance in South Africa suggests there may still be a case for using it in areas where the South African variant is dominant.

Novavax is also developing new formulations of its vaccine to protect against emerging variants and plans to initiate clinical testing of these shots in the second quarter of this year.

Results from the final analysis of the UK trial were largely in line with interim data released in January.

The company expects to use the data to submit for regulatory authorization in various countries.

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HOW THE NOVAVAX VACCINE WORKS

Novavax's coronavirus vaccine, called NVX-CoV2373, differs from the three vaccines already being distributed in the United States. The vaccine relies on what is called recombinant nanoparticle technology and Novavax's adjuvant, called Matrix-M, to stimulate an immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies.

When the genetic sequence for the coronavirus was published, Novavax scientists identified the gene for the spike protein and created a modified version of that gene. The researchers cloned the genes into a baculovirus that infects insects. They then infected moth cells -- specifically, cells from the fall armyworm insect -- with that virus, prompting them to produce the coronavirus spike protein.

These virus-like nanoparticles were harvested to make Novavax's vaccine.

"The whole idea of the vaccine is to show the immune system something that looks, tastes and acts like a virus, with the exception that it doesn't make you sick. So we made the spike protein. We put it in a particle -- basically, like a soap bubble -- and it's the size of the virus," Glenn said.

"It's not infectious. We never touch the coronavirus itself," he added. "Then that is given to people, and they make an immune response that's very much focused just on the spike -- and I would say, the hallmark of our vaccine is it gives a very strong immune response with very few side effects, and the dose is very small and the vaccine can be stored with normal refrigerated temperatures."

That's different from the Covid-19 vaccines made using messenger RNA carried in fatty particles called lipids. They're more fragile and must be kept frozen.

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THE FOUR MAIN TYPES OF CORONAVIRUS VACCINES IN DEVELOPMENT

mRNA VACCINE

Used by: Pfizer, Moderna
Doses: 2
mRNA vaccines are the newest approach. They use genetic material called messenger RNA, a kind of genetic software that instructs cells to make a piece of the coronavirus spike protein. That will get the attention of the immune system. The mRNA is coated in soft fatty lipids to protect it.

VECTOR VACCINES

Used by: AstraZeneca, Janssen, Sputnik
Doses: 1-2

Vector vaccines use another virus to carry in the genetic instructions to make the spike protein. For coronavirus they all use adenoviruses, a type of common cold virus. They attach to cells and inject DNA that tells the cells to make coronavirus spike protein.

PROTEIN SUBUNIT VACCINE

Used by: Novavax, Sanofi
Doses: 1-2

Protein subunit vaccines just get little pieces of the target virus circulating in the system for the immune system to find and recognize. Instead of using the human body as the vaccine factory, genetically engineered insect viruses are used to infect moths, whose cells then produce the pieces of coronavirus spike protein. These are harvested and made into a vaccine.

WHOLE, KILLED VACCINES

Used by: Sinovac
Doses: 1

Whole inactivated virus vaccines take longer to make because batches of the coronavirus must first be grown and then killed using a chemical or heat, and then made into a vaccine that can be injected to elicit an immune reponse.

[School of Rational Thought]

“british” variant is racist

[School of Rational Thought]

“british” variant is racist

[max americana]

“There were no cases of severe illness or deaths among those who got the vaccine”

YET

[Bayard]

I got the Moderna. One month after second dose and I perfectly fine.

Only felt sick the second day after the second dose. I recovered within 24 hours. All I took was advil and a Sudafed and I was functional for that day.

[AZJeep]

Me too.

[catnipman]

“Novavax’s two-dose protein subunit-based candidate NVX-CoV2373 containing a proprietary Matrix-M adjuvant. “

vaccines that contain adjuvants are REALLY bad news ... adjuvants are bizarre chemicals like squalene (derived from shark liver) that provoke the immune system into extremely unnatural hyper-activity ...

adjuvants are added to vaccines when the native vaccine isn’t powerful enough (or is deliberately diluted to “stretch” the supply) to induce immunity on its own ...

adjuvants in cheap feline vaccines created a national epidemic of hyperthyroidism in cats as well as killed many other cats with injection-site sarcomas ...

[steve86]

“vaccines that contain adjuvants are REALLY bad news ... “

LOL you wouldn’t be over-generalizing or anything

[Mount Athos]

I’m either going to skip the vaccine completely, or wait until Novavax gets approved in may or june

[MinorityRepublican]

Same here.