A large coronavirus vaccine has been shown to be 89.3 times effective in large UK studies.
The Novavax jab is the first to show in studies that it is effective against the new variant virus found in the UK, the medical editor said BBC, Fergus Walsh .
The Prime Minister hailed the “good news” and said the UK Medicines Agency will now evaluate the vaccine.
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The UK has secured 60 million doses of the sting made in Stockton-on-Tees, North East England.
The Doses The government is expected to ship in the second half of this year, provided it has been approved for use by the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) .
The UK has so far approved three emergency coronavirus vaccines – one from Oxford University and one AstraZeneca, another from Pfizer and BioNTech, and one third from the pharmaceutical company Moderna.
Novavax jab, given in two doses, was shown to be 89.3% effective in preventing Covid-19 in participants in its phase 3 clinical trial in the UK.
Phase 3 trials: the final stage before a vaccine is scrutinized by a regulator: it enrolled more than 15,000 people between the ages of 18 and 84, of whom 27% were older than 65, said US firm Novavax.
In the South African part of the trial, where most of the cases were the South African variant of the virus. , the vaccine was 60� effective among people without HIV.
Stan Erck, CEO of Novavax, said the results of the UK trial were “spectacular” and “as good as we could have hoped for”, while efficacy in South Africa was “above people’s expectations.”
He told the BBC that the manufacturing plant in Stockton-on-Tees should be operational in March or April, and that the company hopes to obtain approval for the vaccine from the MHRA around the same time.
Minister Lucy Frazer told BBC Breakfast that the government may not set an exact deadline for when the Novavax jab could be approved as the regulatory process is “out of our control.”
But the Prisons minister added that the NHS would be “ready to distribute [the jab] into the arms of the people” as soon as supplies become available.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the new vaccine would be “another weapon in our arsenal to defeat this terrible virus,” if approved.
Thanks to the research and volunteers who participated in the trials, he added: “I am proud that the UK is at the forefront of another medical breakthrough. ”
Prof Paul Heath, chief researcher of the UK Novavax study, said the results of the clinical trials were” hugely exciting results “, particularly because of the effectiveness of the sting against the UK variant.
Peter Openshaw, Professor of Experimental Medicine at Imperial College London, The Findings that the vaccine offered a high level of protection in the UK part of the study were “excellent”, but the lower level of protection in South Africa was “a problem” .
These extremely encouraging test results suggest another effective vaccine against coronavirus could soon be in Reach.
It works a little differently than what is already available – but it teaches the body’s immune system in the same way to recognize and fight the pandemic virus.
Additionally, it appears to be effective in emerging and more contagious variants of the coronavirus – something of the scientist feared that e s may not be possible because they are vaccines all designed to match the original virus, not these new, mutated versions.
Even the South African variant, which has seen the most worrying changes, does not seem to be able to escape entirely.
Englands Chief Medical Officer Prof. Chris Whitty said that if the sting is approved it will “increase our future resilience” to the virus.
Nadhim Zahawi, the UK government minister responsible for introducing the vaccine, said he was “particularly excited” seeing the positive results, having participated in Novavax’s trials himself.
Supervisor Sir Keir Starmer described the trial results as “fantastic news” and “another step towards vaccinating the UK” .
In total, the UK has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and 40 million of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. Both are currently being rolled out in the UK.
Another 17 million doses of the MHRA’s approved Moderna vaccine in early January, are expected in the spring.
The goal is to have a first for everyone in the top four priority groups – up to 15 million people – by mid-February
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on technology that was not used in previous vaccines, but the Novavax push uses a more traditional method of restoring part of the virus’ spike protein to stimulate the immune system.
Like the Oxford vaccine, the Novavax puff can be stored at normal refrigerator temperature – meaning it can be more easily distributed.
More than 7.4 million people in the UK have so far received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest government figures.
Previously, the Prime Minister and Public Health England (PHE) advocated the use of the puncture Oxford-AstraZeneca, after Germany recommended that it only be given to people under 65 years old
The European Medicines Agency will decide later whether to approve the vaccine for use throughout the EU.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunizations for PHE said the vaccine offers “high levels of protection” against Covid-19, particularly against serious diseases.
Professor Anthony Harnden, vice chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that Germany has more supplies from Pfizer jab than from Oxford, so its recommendations were made because it wanted to prioritize its largest supply for its elderly population.
