A vial labeled “Novavax V COVID-19 Vaccine” is seen in this illustration taken on January 16, 2022.
Ruvik Dice | Reuters
FDA Authorization NovavaxUpdated protein-based Covid vaccines emergency use Friday in the 12-and-up crowd, paving the way for a shot of competing against others Pfizer and modernAcupuncture this fall and winter.
Novavax’s vaccine targets the highly contagious omicron subvariant JN.1, which began spreading widely in the United States earlier this year. As of this week, JN.1 accounts for just 0.2% of cases spreading nationwide, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Novavax makes a protein-based vaccine that cannot be quickly updated to target another strain of the virus.
Nonetheless, the biotech noted that its vaccine provides protection against the JN.1 descendants currently dominant in the United States, including KP.2.3, KP.3, KP.3.1.1 and LB.1.
“Our updated vaccine targets JN.1, the ‘parent strain’ of the currently circulating variant, and has been shown to be effective against JN.1,” Novavax CEO John Jacobs said in a statement. Robust cross-reactivity of lineage viruses.
Novavax said it expects the vaccine to be “widely available” at thousands of locations across the U.S., including retail stores, independent pharmacies and regional grocery stores.
Novavax shares rose more than 8% on Friday after the news was announced.
The FDA’s decision comes a week after approving a new round of messenger RNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna, both of which target another offshoot of JN.1, KP.2. Last year, the agency approved Novavax’s shot nearly a month after clearing a rival vaccine, putting the company at a disadvantage.
Public health officials view Novavax’s vaccine as a valuable alternative for people who don’t want to take the mRNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna, which use newer vaccine methods to teach cells how to make proteins that trigger an immune response to the coronavirus. Novavax’s vaccine, meanwhile, uses protein-based technology to protect against the virus, a decades-old approach used in routine hepatitis B and shingles vaccinations.
It’s unclear how many people will get the new coronavirus vaccine this fall and winter.
According to statistics, only about 22.5% of U.S. adults received the latest round of vaccinations launched last fall CDC data to early May.
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