- Australia has signed a deal with U.S.-based Novavax to purchase 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373
- Pending the completion of a Phase 3 clinical trial, deliveries could be seen as soon as the first half of next year
- Novavax is among a handful of companies currently engaged in late-stage trials, and has already signed similar agreements with the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea and India
- Australia has played a key role in the development of NVX-CoV2373, with researchers leading a Phase 1 trial Melbourne and Brisbane
- A reliable vaccine would be a game-changer in the fight against COVID-19, which has so far killed more than 1.2 million people worldwide
The Australian Government has signed a deal with U.S.-based biotech company Novavax to purchase 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373.
Novavax is among a handful of companies currently conducting late-stage trials of new coronavirus vaccines, and has already signed similar deals with the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea and India.
According to a press release published on Wednesday, initial deliveries of the vaccine could be seen as early as the first half of next year.
Australia has played a key role in the development of NVX-CoV2373, with clinical researchers leading a global Phase 1 clinical trial in August that utilised 131 Australians across Melbourne and Brisbane.
A further 690 Australians participated in Phase 2 of the trial, which was conducted at up to 40 sites in both Australia and the U.S.
Phase 3 is currently in planning, and will seek to verify immunity, safety and disease prevention metrics associated with NVX-CoV2373.
“This arrangement with the Australian Government reflects the importance of the ongoing clinical development of NVX-CoV2373, and will ensure that the citizens of Australia will have access to its supply,” said Stanley Erck, President and Chief Executive of Novavax.
“We are pleased with the progress of our ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in the U.K., and are pressing forward to deliver efficacy data for NVX-CoV2373, with interim data in this event-driven trial expected as soon as early first quarter 2021,” he added.
A reliable vaccine is broadly seen as a game-changer in the fight against COVID-19, which has so far killed more than 1.2 million people worldwide.