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Novavax is here!

Their Covid-19 vaccine contains a coronavirus protein that prompts the immune system. (This differs from Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines, which contain instructions for recognizing the coronavirus.) Scientists combined this protein with an immune-boosting compound derived from the soapbark tree.

This type of vaccine has a much longer track record than the newer approaches. But the innovative aspect is that Novavax found a way to make this vaccine in moth cells (rather than mammal cells). The moth cells become little factories that pump out coronavirus proteins. This allows Novavax to manufacture the vaccine much more quickly than others, which is one reason they can get this to market…

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Articles of Interest

The mRNA Vaccines Are Extraordinary, but Novavax Is Even Better

Persistent hype around mRNA vaccine technology is now distracting us from other ways to end the pandemic. But here’s what we know today, based on information that we have right now: Among several wonderful options, the more old-school vaccine from Novavax combines ease of manufacture with high efficacy and lower side effects. For the moment, it’s the best COVID-19 vaccine we have.

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How the Novavax Vaccine Works

To create their vaccine, Novavax researchers started with a modified spike gene. They inserted the gene into a different virus, called a baculovirus, and allowed it to infect moth cells. The infected cells produced spike proteins that spontaneously joined together to form spikes, as they do on the surface of the coronavirus.

Novavax Covid vaccine has efficacy of 90%, say manufacturers

A Covid vaccine that is a critical part of the effort to vaccinate the developing world, as well as the UK, has an efficacy of 90% overall, its manufacturers have said after trials in the US and Mexico.

The Results Are In For Novavax's Vaccine And They Are Impressive

A highly anticipated study of a COVID-19 vaccine has finally produced results. And the results are really, really good. The vaccine is made by the Maryland biotech company Novavax. And the study found that the vaccine was 100% effective against the original strain of the coronavirus and 93% effective against some of the more worrisome strains.

The Tree That Could Help Stop The Pandemic

The rare Chilean soapbark tree produces compounds that can boost the body’s reaction to vaccines.

What is the Novavax vaccine, and how does it work?

The American biotechnology company also claimed that their vaccine candidate was found to have a 91% efficacy in high-risk populations during the phase 3 trial.

What the Novavax vaccine means for the global fight against Covid-19

Novavax’s approach blends old and new techniques. To make the vaccine, the company combines another kind of virus — a baculovirus — with the genetic information needed to make a spike protein, a key fragment of SARS-CoV-2. When moth cells are infected with this virus, they manufacture the spike protein. Scientists then harvest and fuse those proteins with a nanoparticle. These nanoparticles combined with spike proteins are what is injected in the Novavax vaccine.

Resources

Novavax

We have successfully produced NVX-CoV2373, a vaccine candidate that is designed to provide protection against COVID-19. Engineered from the genetic sequence of COVID-19, we used our recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike protein. In combination with our proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant, NVX-CoV2373 has demonstrated in preclinical studies that it binds efficiently with human receptors targeted by the virus, a critical aspect for effective vaccine protection.

Novavax Nears Covid-19 Vaccine Game Changer—After Years of Failure

If authorized, its shot could be one of the more powerful weapons against the pandemic.