Non-mRNA vaccine from Novavax, said to be better than Pfizer & Moderna, gets first approval in Indonesia

A Covid-19 vaccine from Novavax received its first emergency use authorization (EUA) from Indonesia, the company’s CEO, Stanley Erck, said on Monday (Nov 1).

Approval for use is also expected within “weeks” in India, the Philippines and other countries, Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told Reuters. 

More than five months ago, Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had said that Singapore had put in an advance order for the vaccine, which is  formulated differently from  the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines already in use in Singapore.

At a multi-ministry taskforce virtual press conference on June 24, Mr Ong said:

“Recently there have been some encouraging results of Novavax clinical trials published in the papers. We are working closely with Novavax and awaiting their application for regulatory approval. We hope the vaccine suppliers can arrive before the end of the year, for those who want to take (a vaccine) that is non-mRNA.”

The pharmaceutical company had announced on Jun 14  that the vaccine had a 93.2 per cent efficacy against Covid-19 variants of concern and variants of interest, and that for other Covid-19 variants known at the time , the vaccine  showed 100 per cent efficacy.

Like other vaccines, it offers 100 per cent protection against moderate and severe disease. It also showed a 91 per cent efficacy in “high-risk” populations.

Novavax’s overall efficacy is an impressive 90.4 per cent.

It is not known when Singapore’s shipment of Novavax vaccines will arrive, with Mr Erck telling Reuters on Monday, “I think (Novavax is) going to really start being able to ship large quantity to Covax in the first quarter” of next year.

Covax is a global initiative working with vaccine manufacturers and governments to make Covid-19 vaccines available worldwise.

Indonesia is set to receive 20 million doses of the vaccine this year, its government said.

Novavax vs Pfizer/Moderna vs Sinovac

Vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines. With mRNA vaccines, a part of the coronavirus’ genetic code is injected into a person’s body. This activates the production of viral proteins, but not the whole virus, in order to train the immune system to attack.

These vaccines were the first to be approved for emergency use late last year and showed efficacy rates of 95 and 94 per cent against the original coronavirus strain.

As for Sinovac, whose efficacy rates vary in clinical trials and real-world studies, it uses killed viral particles in order to expose immune systems to the virus without the risk of serious disease.

Novavax, on the other hand, uses an “older, more familiar science” that was also used in the development of vaccines for Hepatitis B and pertussis, or whooping cough, which was used in developing vaccines given to millions of children.

It is produced by developing an engineered virus that contains a gene for a modified spike protein of the virus responsible for Covid-19.

The Novavax vaccine can also be a game-changer for two additional reasons: First, since it uses older technologies, it can help overcome hesitancy among those wary of mRNA vaccines.

Secondly, Novavax’s latest trials show that it has fewer and less serious side effects, which could mean a faster recovery time from the shots. For people who cannot afford to miss work, this could add additional incentives for getting vaccinated. /TISG

Read also: SG has advance orders for a “better” vaccine than Pfizer & Moderna

SG has advance orders for a “better” vaccine than Pfizer & Moderna