Novavax to test its Covid vaccine candidate in another UK trial

Novavax Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate will be entered in another trial in the United Kingdom, this one on the impact of a mixed-regiment vaccination on adolescents. 

The company’s candidate, NVX-CoV2373, will be included in an expanded phase 2 clinical trial called “Comparing Covid-19 Vaccine Schedule Combinations, Stage 3,” or Com-COV3 for short, which will study the effectiveness of vaccination when patients receive vaccines from two different manufacturers. 

The trial will focus on adolescents, including at least 360 people ages 12-16. Volunteers will receive an already-authorized vaccine as a first dose, and then one of three vaccines as a second dose. Some participants will receive the same manufacturer’s vaccine as their second dose, while others will receive the Novavax vaccine or that of a third manufacturer. 

The research will compare the immune responses of those who received two of the same shot to those who received two different shots. Researchers will also look for any negative reactions for safety purposes. 

The Com-COV3 work will be led by the University of Oxford and funded by the U.K. Vaccines Taskforce and the National Institute for Health Research. Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX) is already participating in a similar trial in adults known as Com-COV2, and the results of that trial are expected in the next few weeks. 

"Expanding our understanding of how different Covid-19 vaccines can be used to implement flexible vaccine programs across all age groups will be vital to ultimately controlling the pandemic," Dr. Gregory Glenn, president of research and development at Novavax, said in a statement. "A mixed vaccination series could offer the potential to maximize the use of existing vaccine supply, increase the total number of individuals who can ultimately be vaccinated and accelerate rapid and equitable access across the globe."

Novavax’s NVX-CoV2373 vaccine candidate performed very well in late-stage trials in the U.S. and Mexico, with the company in June reporting effectiveness of more than 90% against several variants. But the manufacturing piece of the company’s application for authorization by the Food and Drug Administration has been a thorn in Novavax’s side, and in August CEO Stanley Erck said the company pushed back its projected submission timeline to the fourth quarter, potentially in October. 

The big number

$15.7 million — Amount Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia GOP’s gubernatorial nominee, has lent his campaign so far, according to the Associated Press. Youngkin, a former CEO at The Carlyle Group Inc., lent his campaign $4.5 million in the last two months, on top of $11.2 million previously lent in his first-ever bid for public office. The campaign of Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe raised $11.5 million in July and August, while Youngkin’s raised $11.2 million not counting his latest loan, according to the report. During the entire election cycle, Youngkin’s campaign has raised more than $35 million (including his personal loans), while McAuliffe’s campaign has raised roughly $33 million, according to the report. McAuliffe, however, still has more than $12.5 million in cash on hand in his campaign fund, while Youngkin’s campaign has just $6 million.

Odds and ends