US-Based Novavax Begins Clinical Trials Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate On Adolescents Aged Between 12 To 17 Years

In a major development, United States (US) based biotechnology and pharmaceutical major Novavax has started the clinical trials of its proposed COVID-19 vaccine on children, reports Hindustan Times.

The trials would involve as many as 3,000 adolescents aged between 12-17 years. The trials would test the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, with participants receiving either the vaccine candidate or placebo in two doses, 21 days apart. Following this, the participants will be monitored for up to two years.

It should be noted that as of now, the Novavax vaccine has not yet been authorised in any country, including for adults. However, the company is said to be planning to file for emergency authorization in the United Kingdom (UK) in the second quarter of 2021, followed by in the US.

At the end of January, the company had announced that in its UK trials involving 15,000 adults, the vaccine developed by it showed an efficacy of 89.3 per cent against COVID-19. Meanwhile, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are also conducting trials in adolescents.