American biotechnology company Novavax has begun the Phase 3 trial for NVX-CoV2373, the experimental vaccine with the potential to give immunity for combatting SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans. Their new report was released in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Addressing the unprecedented health crisis of COVID-19 has required extraordinary efforts on the part of government, academia, industry and the community,” said Anthony Stephen Fauci, America’s most trusted physician and the Director of the NIAID, in a news release.
“The launch of this study—the fifth investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate to be tested in a Phase 3 trial in the United States—demonstrates our resolve to end the pandemic through [sic] development of multiple safe and effective vaccines,” Fauci also stated.
Novavax’s new vaccinational development is expected to be conducted in conjunction with Operation Warp Speed, which aims to expedite the distribution of efficient treatments for counteracting the sudden surge in confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Thus far, NVX-CoV2373 has demonstrated efficiency and was well-tolerated in preceding trials, resulting in higher levels of antibodies to prevent COVID-19 infection. No severe adverse reactions were noted during prior trials.
As Novavax heads to the next phase for their new experimental vaccine, if it demonstrates high efficiency and safeness, it could join the ranks of BNT162b2, Sputnik V, and mRNA-1273, all of which have been strenuously reviewed and approved for immediate distribution.
Novavax is now enrolling adult volunteers in the United States and in Mexico.