US biotech firm Novavax begins Covid-19 vaccine trials on Australian volunteers after getting $388mn from Bill Gates-backed fund
Novavax is testing a new coronavirus vaccine on human subjects for the first time, launching a phase one clinical trial with a massive grant from an agency founded by Bill Gates, kicking off a storm of concerns online.
The Maryland-based pharma has begun its trial, which will dose some 130 Australian participants with the new inoculation, hoping to see results as early as July and proceed to the second phase.
“Administering our vaccine in the first participants of this clinical trial is a significant achievement, bringing us one step closer toward addressing the fundamental need for a vaccine in the fight against the global Covid‑19 pandemic,” Stanley Erck, Novavax President and CEO, said in a statement on Monday night.
We look forward to sharing the clinical results in July and, if promising, quickly initiating the Phase 2 portion of the trial.
The new initiative got off the ground with a massive $388 million-dollar investment from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI) – its largest donation to date – a public health foundation established by billionaire Bill Gates.
https://www.rt.com/news/489738-novavax-covid-vaccine-trial/