Novavax working on formulating new vaccine to counter Omicron COVID variant: Reports

On Friday, November 26, biotechnology company Novavax stated that it has started working on the formulation of a new vaccine in view of the recent Omicron COVID variant detected in South Africa, reported CNN. The company has already begun developing a novel recombinant spike protein based on the known genetic sequence of B.1.1.529, and it will be available for testing and production in the coming weeks. "We will continue to work quickly to address this latest strain as well as the continued evolution of COVID-19," the company said in a statement, reported CNN. The new variant has been categorised as a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization and it was given the Greek name - Omicron.

Novavax claimed in a statement that the technology used in its vaccine enables rapid adaptation to strain changes. It further stated that prior experience with the vaccine has shown that it can protect and neutralise against real-world variants, including responses seen in clinical trials against Delta variants. "These statistics led us to assume that our vaccine is likely to give protection against new and developing variations," the company stated. Speaking to CNN earlier this month, Novavax CEO Stanley Erck said that that the company intends to submit comprehensive data to the US Food and Drug Administration as soon as possible, maybe by the end of the year, for possible emergency use authorisation of the vaccine.

US is working with South Africa to understand more about new variant: Dr Fauci

Meanwhile, Dr Anthony Fauci, a top US medical expert, said the US is working closely with South Africa to understand more about the variant's molecular makeup before determining the harm the new COVID strain poses. "At present, we are talking about the warning sign that this could be a problem, but we don't know exactly," he was quoted as saying by the outlet. Dr Fauci further said that once the new COVID strain is evaluated, it will be clear whether or not it evades the antibodies that are produced through a vaccine.  

It should be mentioned here that Novavax Inc. is a firm dedicated to improving world health by discovering, developing, and commercialising novel vaccines to prevent deadly infectious diseases. The company's exclusive recombinant technology platform uses genetic engineering's power and speed to efficiently generate highly immunogenic nanoparticles that solve pressing global health needs. Last week, the company also sent an application to European Union's drug regulator seeking authorisation for its COVID-19, vaccine reported The Associated Press (AP). The COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax is developed using a different technology from those currently in the market, such as those from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, as well as messenger RNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.

Image: AP/Pixabay/Representative