Early stage testing begins for combined Novavax flu/COVID-19 vaccine

Novavax announced Wednesday it is in the early stages of testing a combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine.

The statement by the vaccine developer says it is combing the flu shot NanoFlu with its COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373.

There will be 640 healthy adults between the ages of 50 to 70 participating in the trial that will be conducted at 12 study sites in Australia. 

“The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and immune response to NanoFlu formulated together with NVX-CoV2373 and Matrix-M adjuvant,” the company said.

The participants either had to previously test positive for the coronavirus or be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus for at least eight weeks. 

The participants will receive two doses, one on the first day of the trial and one 56 days later. 

“This study is the first-of-its-kind to evaluate the vaccine’s potential to induce a robust immune response, augmented by our Matrix-M adjuvant, against two life-threatening diseases simultaneously,” said Gregory M. Glenn, president of research and development for Novavax.

“The combination of these two vaccines, which have individually delivered outstanding results with favorable safety and tolerability profiles, may lead to greater efficiencies for the healthcare system and achieve high levels of protection against COVID-19 and influenza with a single regimen,” Glenn added. 

Results from the study are expected in the first half of 2022.