Novavax has entered into a Phase 1 human vaccine trial after receiving millions of dollars from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI), a group founded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation.
The big pharma company started its clinical trial on Monday using approximately 130 participants ages 18 to 59 in Australia
The results of the first phase of clinical trials in Melbourne and Brisbane are expected in July, Novavax said. Thousands of candidates in several countries would then become involved in a second phase.
RT reports: The Maryland-based pharma company has begun its trial, which will dose some 130 Australian participants with the new inoculation, hoping to see results as early as July and proceed to the second phase.
“Administering our vaccine in the first participants of this clinical trial is a significant achievement, bringing us one step closer toward addressing the fundamental need for a vaccine in the fight against the global Covid‑19 pandemic,” Stanley Erck, Novavax president and CEO, said in a statement on Monday night.
“We look forward to sharing the clinical results in July and, if promising, quickly initiating the Phase 2 portion of the trial.“
The new initiative got off the ground with a massive $388-million investment from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI) – its largest donation to date – a public health foundation established by billionaire Bill Gates.
Niamh Harris