Valneva, a French biotechnology company based in Scotland, started manufacturing its vaccine candidate on Thursday, working to supply millions of jabs while assessing efficacy and safety. The company will synthesize jabs from its base in Livingston, West Lothian. The government has a principle agreement for 60 million initial doses, followed by an option for an additional 130 million if approved.
How effective is the Valneva vaccine?
Valneva’s vaccine candidate is not exactly at the same stage as some of its rivals, now in phase one and two tests.
The researchers use early-stage clinical trials to evaluate a candidate vaccine and, as such, do not provide complete results on efficacy or safety.
Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca completed their effectiveness after their jabs passed phase three of their respective trials.
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Scientists can take months between phase two and phase three before producing results.
Moderna and Pfizer entered phase three in the summer of 2020, before launching the primary effectiveness analysis in November.
If they follow a similar timetable, Valneva could post its results from the third phase until the summer, although this is just speculation, as the company has not confirmed when people can expect the news.
The jab must pass “safety and efficacy standards” before approval in the UK.
“I would like to thank the UK Vaccines Taskforce and the National Institute for Health Research, who played vital roles in the rapid recruitment and enrollment of volunteers for the clinical study.
“We believe that our vaccine, assuming successful development, can make a major contribution in the UK and beyond.”
Valneva’s VLA2001 candidate is one of the only inactivated vaccines under development.
Unlike American versions that train mRNA to fight Covid-19, inactivated vaccines inject dead virus cells into the body.
The immune system then responds to the dead virus, which strengthens it before any real infection.
Scientists have used the tried and tested method for many successful vaccines in the past, but the World Health Organization (WHO) said it could require several dosages to work optimally.
They said, “This approach uses proven technology to work on people – that’s how flu and polio vaccines are made – and vaccines can be made on a reasonable scale.
“However, it does require special laboratory facilities to grow the virus or bacteria safely, it can have a relatively long production time and will likely require two or three doses to be administered.”