Vaccine developer Novavax Inc will start a trial in Australia to test its combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine.
The early phase trial will comprise 640 healthy adults between the ages of 50 and 70 years who have either been previously infected with the coronavirus or given an authorised COVID-19 vaccine at least eight weeks prior to the study.
Participants will receive a combination of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373, and its influenza shot, NanoFlu, along with an adjuvant or vaccine booster.
“The combination of these two vaccines … may lead to greater efficiencies for the healthcare system and achieve high levels of protection against COVID-19 and influenza with a single regimen,” Novavax President of Research and Development Gregory Glenn said in a statement.
Novavax had said in May it expected seasonal influenza and COVID-19 combination vaccines to likely be critical in combating emerging COVID-19 variants.
Its sid its vaccine NanoFlu/NVX-CoV2373 had elicited robust responses to both influenza A and B and protected against the coronavirus in pre-clinical studies.
The trial will be conducted at up to 12 study sites across Australia.
Novavax expects trial results in the first half of 2022.
(AAP)
