Novavax began a large, late-stage study of its Covid-19 experimental vaccine in the United States, the drug’s developer said on Monday, after delaying the test twice due to problems in expanding the manufacturing process.
The company will enroll up to 30,000 volunteers at about 115 sites in the United States and Mexico, with two-thirds of them receiving the injection 21 days apart and the rest receiving placebo, the company said.
Novavax is behind other pharmaceutical companies in the global race for the COVID-19 vaccine, with vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna authorized for emergency use in the United States.
But experts said more than one vaccine would be needed to end the pandemic that killed more than 1.7 million people worldwide.
Novavax has signed supply agreements with several countries and is expected to supply 60 million doses to the UK, where a final stage study is underway. Provisional trial data is expected for the first quarter of 2021.
It is also preparing to deliver 100 million doses to the United States by January, after receiving $ 1.6 billion to develop and test its potential vaccine.
Novavax is also running a fully registered Phase 2b study in South Africa and a Phase 1/2 continuation in the United States and Australia. Trial efficacy data may be available early next year.