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Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates 89.3% Efficacy In UK Phase 3 Trial

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland-based Novavax announced Thursday its COVID-19 vaccine was 89.3% effective in a Phase 3 trial in the United Kingdom.

The study was conducted in partnership with the U.K. Government's Vaccines Taskforce. Novavax also announced successful results of its Phase 2B study conducted in South Africa.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

In a statement, Novavax's president and CEO Stanley Erck said:

"With today's results from our UK Phase 3 and South Africa Phase 2b clinical trials, we have now reported data on our COVID-19 vaccine from Phase 1, 2 and 3 trials involving over 20,000 participants. In addition, our PREVENT-19 US and Mexico clinical trial has randomized over 16,000 participants toward our enrollment goal of 30,000. NVX-CoV2373 is the first vaccine to demonstrate not only high clinical efficacy against COVID-19 but also significant clinical efficacy against both the rapidly emerging UK and South Africa variants."

Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine contains a full-length, prefusion spike protein made using Novavax's recombinant nanoparticle technology and the company's proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant.

The purified protein is encoded by the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and is produced in insect cells. It can neither cause COVID-19 nor can it replicate, is stable at 2°C to 8°C (refrigerated) and is shipped in a ready-to-use liquid formulation that permits distribution using existing vaccine supply chain channels.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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