Novavax Inc’s coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine was 96% effective in preventing cases caused by the original version of the coronavirus in a late-stage trial conducted in the United Kingdom, the company said on Thursday, moving it a step closer to regulatory approval.
There were no cases of severe illness or deaths among those who got the vaccine.
The vaccine was also about 86% effective in protecting against the more contagious virus variant first discovered and now prevalent in the U.K. It was about 90% effective overall, combining data from people infected with both versions of the coronavirus.
Novavax shares jumped 22% in after hours trading to $229.They were trading below $10 on January 21, 2020, when the company announced it was developing a coronavirus vaccine.
In a smaller trial conducted in South Africa – where volunteers were primarily exposed to another newer, more contagious variant widely circulating there and spreading around the world – the Novavax vaccine was only…