Novavax Covid-19 vaccine performs well in clinical trials, but variables are still at risk

More than 330 million vaccines were given in the fight against Covid-19, and a new vaccine candidate is now ready to enter the ring. Novavax recently completed its final analyzes and will seek FDA and international approval in the coming weeks. The new candidate will use a method to stimulate immune responses that is different from vaccines that have already been circulated, but which are still effective against immutable forms of the virus. Here I discuss the results and impact of Novavax tests and the performance of the vaccine against variable variants of SARS-CoV-2.

The press release reports a UK trial of 15,000 participants. Against wild-type strains of the virus, the two-dose vaccine increased 96.4% efficacy. In particular, the vaccine was also 100% effective in preventing serious disease, which included symptoms such as tachypnea, high resting heart rate, essential ventilation, hospitalization, among others.

Among those 15,000 participants were also infections through the UK portable viral variant of the virus. The vaccine still posted an impressive 86.3% efficacy against the variant, which equates to an overall vaccine efficacy of 89.7% among the 15,000 participants study. Moreover, of non-placebo participants in the trial, only one case of Covid-19 was reported among those 65 and older, a demographic that was severely affected by the pandemic.

Novavax also wanted to see how its vaccine would work against the South African antibody-resistant virus. Among a partner group of 2,905 adults, the vaccine showed an overall efficacy of just 48.6% against the main difference of B.1.351. Although Covid-19 adverse events have not been identified in the vaccine group, these numbers are less encouraging than in the UK group. Among HIV-negative adults, the efficacy rises to 55.4%, which is still well below par. This is a consistent topic across the vaccine landscape. The South African variety, along with their genetic counterparts similar to those in Brazil, Japan, and elsewhere are highly resistant to vaccine-induced and naturally produced antibodies.

The Novavax vaccine works by combining a purified spike protein with an adjuvant, or a substance designed to strengthen a specific immune response. In 1984, I actually used the same formula – adjuvant, envelope, and the same spike – to create a vaccine that will prevent cats from getting leukemia. It is an old technology, but it can be said to be the most direct line of attack we can resist virus. Other Covid-19 vaccines approved by the FDA use methods that are certainly innovative and yet effective, but generally have more precise approaches in hitting the same target. These include the messenger RNA in the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which order human cells to produce spike proteins, and the adenovirus vectors in Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, which have instructions for production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

The clinical trials for the Novavax vaccine have provided such a promising result that is a good sign, especially as new changes emerge. Many pharmaceutical companies have already announced the development of second-generation vaccines designed specifically for these new variants. The only excuses in mind are what they are planning for, and what if new ones emerge in the time it takes to develop, test and circulate? The image below shows some of the many different strains that have spread out from the wild type SARS-CoV-2.

Nevertheless, these doubts should not be removed from the positive news regarding this story. A new vaccine will soon be available that sets high efficacy towards the wild type and one of the most abundant variants. It is hoped that this vaccine will help control the number of cases as new vaccines are developed in the coming months.