The British government on Friday announced it has finalized an agreement with Novavax for the production of 90 million coronavirus vaccine shots, as the United Kingdom scrambles to secure an immediate supply of the potential drug to combat the disease.
As part of the new in-principle deal, the UK will finance a third-stage clinical test to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the experimental vaccine on the region's population, Novavax disclosed in a statement. The trial is expected to start this quarter.
The clinical test -- a randomized, dual-blind, placebo-controlled study -- will have around 9,000 participants between the ages of 18 and 85 years old. Novavax would collaborate with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotech for the production of the antigen ingredient of the potential COVID-19 vaccine NVX-CoV2373 in the UK, the company stated.
In a media statement Friday, Novavax chief executive officer Stanley Erck said it is a great privilege to be working with
British government to develop a treatment that could give vital protection in the fight against the virus.
Erck pointed out that the pharmaceutical group's Phase 3 clinical tests in the UK will be a "crucial component" to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine, which was well-tolerated and generated robust antibody responses during first stage trials.
Novavax has already signed a deal with the U.S. government to supply 100 million doses of NVX-CoV2373 early this year. Last month, the biotech group was picked for the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed and was granted $1.6 billion in funding by the U.S. government to develop its experimental COVID-19 drug.
With the latest announcement, the British government now has access to six different potential vaccine makers, taking its inventory to around 340 million shots, enough for five vaccine doses per person. This figure is one of the largest in the globe.
According to Kate Bingham, chair of British government's Vaccine Taskforce, they are certain that Novavax has an advanced method of treatment that could be the "first in its class of protein-based vaccine options."
So far, Novavax has been given $2 billion in funding for its COVID-19 vaccine, including $384 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and other groups.
Globally, COVID-19 has sickened nearly 21 million people and claimed the lives of at least 760,000 as of Friday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed.
Meanwhile, Novavax said it has entered into a supply and development deal with the South Korean biopharmaceutical group SK Bioscience to produce the antigen ingredient of NVX-CoV2373, which the two companies will apply in their late-stage vaccine product.
