Protein Subunit Vaccine, Novavax for Covid-19, approved by the FDA

The US was one of the few markets where it hasn’t yet received authorization

Through its panel of experts, the FDA gave a green flag to the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine. The United States had three approved vaccines earlier: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson. The Maryland-based Novavax was already approved in the EU, UK, Canada, and Australia. The US was one of the few markets where it hasn’t yet received authorization. The vaccine is based on lab-grown viral proteins and is believed to be an alternative for people who are hesitant to avail vaccines that use mRNA technology.

Novavax is based on the lab-developed version of the spikes that dot the coronavirus. The company uses the modified spike gene and inserts it into Baculovirus, which is used to infect moth cells and produce spikes on their surface. The spikes are then harvested and assembled into nanoparticles and then injected into the patients. However, there are some concerns that it may be linked to rare cases of heart inflammation. Formulators point out the lack of evidence to suggest the causal relationship between the cases of myocarditis and the vaccine. Novavax was found to be more than 90% effective against symptomatic cases of Covid-19. Known as the protein subunit vaccine, Novavax is administered in two doses.