Novavax has pushed back the start of its late-stage coronavirus vaccine study into December.
It’s the second time the company has been forced to delay the start of its phase 3 trials. According to Reuters, the setbacks have been triggered by issues related to scaling up manufacturing of its vaccine candidate.
The company announced this week that it now plans to begin its late stage trials in the U.S. and Mexico within the next few weeks and has identified 100 testing sites.
Although Novavax is currently trailing behind coronavirus vaccine rivals such as Pfizer and Moderna in the U.S., analysts say that the company could ultimately have an edge. In October, Novavax announced that it is exploring the possibility of winning approval for its coronavirus vaccine in combination with a seasonal flu vaccine it also has in development.
Meanwhile, the company’s late-stage trials of its coronavirus vaccine in the UK involving 15,000 participants are ongoing. The company is also getting set to launch a phase 2b trial of its coronavirus vaccine in South Africa.
