Novavax vaccine - The African Mirror

Jun

2021

Vaccine shows immune response

NOVAVAX Inc says its experimental COVID-19 vaccine showed immune response and protection against the highly contagious coronavirus variant originally identified in South Africa in a clinical trial. The vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, is being tested in multiple trials but has yet to be authorized for use in any country. Novavax also said studies in mice and baboons found that a different vaccine specifically targeting the South African variant now known as Beta produced immune response and protection, and that it expected to conduct further clinical testing of the Beta-focused vaccine in the fall. The company said testing of blood serum of thirty…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Vaccine shows 51% efficacy against variant

COVID-19

JULIE STEENHUYSEN NOVAVAX Inc's COVID-19 vaccine had efficacy of 51% against infections caused by the South African variant among people who were HIV negative, and 43% in a group that included people who were HIV positive, according to a new analysis published on Wednesday. The variant, known as B.1.351, carries mutations that threaten the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, several studies have shown. Most vaccine makers, including Novavax, are testing versions of their vaccines to protect against emerging variants. The Novavax post-hoc analysis was published in the New England Journal of Medicine along with full data from the company's trial in…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

India sends vaccine to Africa

COVID-19

INDIA has made its first shipment of a locally made COVID-19 shot to the WHO-backed equitable vaccine distribution network COVAX, the government said. "Fulfilling our commitment to help the world with COVID-19 vaccines, supplies of Made-in-India vaccine commence today for Africa under COVAX facility," Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said on Twitter. The World Health Organization this month paved the way for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine's global roll-out by approving emergency use of the product produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, and SK Bioscience of South Korea. SII will…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Results from Novavax vaccine trials in the UK and South Africa differ: why, and does it matter?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

To fast track the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a broad range of candidate COVID-19 vaccines are being investigated. The results of clinical trials being run on some of them have started to be released. The Novavax vaccine trial is one of them. Phase 3 trial results from the UK and phase 2b results from South Africa were recently announced. Shabir Madhi was the lead researcher in the South African leg of the trial. The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana asked him to provide context. SHABIR A. MADHI, Professor of Vaccinology and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytical…