By Christiana Sciaudone
Investing.com -- Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) is up 13% Friday after saying it will begin a late-stage trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate.
The Phase 3 study to evaluate NVX-CoV2373 is expected to enroll and immunize up to 10,000 individuals between 18 and 84 over the next four to six weeks in the U.K.
“With a high level of SARS-CoV-2 transmission observed and expected to continue in the UK, we are optimistic that this pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial will enroll quickly and provide a near-term view of NVX-CoV2373’s efficacy,” said Novavax President Gregory M. Glenn. “The data from this trial is expected to support regulatory submissions for licensure in the UK, EU and other countries.”
The vaccine can be stored unfrozen at 2°C to 8°C, allowing for distribution using standard vaccine channels. Novavax has continued to scale-up its manufacturing capacity, currently at up to 2 billion annualized doses, once all capacity has been brought online by mid-2021.
The trial is designed to enroll at least 25% of participants over the age of 65 as well as to prioritize groups that are most affected by Covid-19, including racial and ethnic minorities.