Novavax vaccine 86 per cent effective against Kent variant of Covid-19
Novavax tonight said that its Covid-19 vaccine was 86.3 per cent effective against the so-called Kent variant of coronavirus.
The pharma firm said that the vaccine was even more effective against the original strain of the disease, with efficacy clocking 96.4 per cent.
It added that the vaccine was 100 per cent effective in preventing severe disease.
The results come at the end of phase three trials of the vaccine, which saw 15,000 people enrolled in a study across the UK.
The vaccine will have to be approved by regulators before it is approved.
A simultaneous trial in South Africa showed that the jab was also 54 per cent effective against the South African variant of the disease.
Commenting on the results, Novavax chief executive Stanley Erck said: “We are very encouraged by the data showing that NVX-CoV2373 not only provided complete protection against the most severe forms of disease, but also dramatically reduced mild and moderate disease across both trials. Importantly, both studies confirmed efficacy against the variant strains.
“Today marks one year since the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 pandemic, and with this data in hand, we are even more motivated to advance our vaccine as a potential weapon in the fight to end the suffering caused by Covid-19.”
The UK has already secured 60m doses of the jab, which will be made in Stockton-on-Tees in north-east England.
If approved, it will join the three other vaccines that have already been authorised for use in the UK.