Novavax seeks emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in PH

FILE PHOTO: Vials labelled “COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” and syringe are seen in front of displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken, February 9, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — The US-based biotechnology company Novavax has applied for the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday.

“They have, but requirements are not yet complete,” FDA Director Eric Domingo told INQUIRER.net in a text message when asked if the company has already filed an application for emergency use authorization. He has yet to disclose the requirements yet to be submitted by the company.

In June, Novavax reported late-stage data from its US-based clinical trial showing that its vaccine is more than 90-percent effective against COVID-19 across a variety of variants.

It added that the company’s COVID-19 vaccine was more than 93 percent effective against the predominant variants of COVID-19 that have concerned health officials.

So far, COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use in the Philippines are those made by Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Bharat Biotech, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

EDV