A randomized clinical trial has found that the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Novavax Inc. is “safe, immunogenic, and efficacious in preventing” the coronavirus in adolescents.
Eighteen researchers from a federally funded COVID vaccine expansion study group published the trial results Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. Their study found that the protein-based NVX-CoV2373 vaccine was 79.5% effective in the trial group of 2,247 adolescents aged 12 to 17, making them about 80% less likely to get infected.
The researchers noted that reactive side effects were “mostly mild to moderate and transient” and “no safety concerns were identified” among those children who received at least one dose of the vaccine while enrolled in the clinical trial from April 26 to June 5, 2021.
“No episodes of anaphylaxis, vaccine-enhanced COVID-19, Guillain Barré syndrome, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or myocarditis and/or pericarditis were observed,” the researchers wrote. “There were no deaths or adverse events of special interest among adolescent trial participants, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.”
Effectiveness means early adolescents and teenagers who received the Novavax vaccine in the trial were roughly 80% less likely to be infected by COVID than peers who received a placebo.
Immunogenic means the vaccine prompted an effective immune system response to fight the coronavirus, and safety refers to the lack of serious side effects among those who received the jab.
The clinical results come after Novavax announced last month that it may not survive.
After three years of financial gains during the height of the pandemic, the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based company lost $2.28 per share during the fourth quarter of last year.
Novavax also is facing a $700 million lawsuit from Gavi, a vaccine access advocacy group that claims the company could not deliver a single immunization more than 18 months after signing an advance purchase agreement to provide 350 million doses.
On Friday, Investors Business Daily reported that analysts expect Novavax to lose an additional $3.46 per share on $95.6 million in sales by the end of the current quarter, with sales tumbling by 86%.
After making billions during the pandemic and building up global vaccine inventories, rivals Pfizer and Moderna also are anticipating a drop in demand this year as widespread immunity from high vaccination rates makes people less likely to seek out the shots.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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