Novavax Inc said on Thursday its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine has received interim approval from New Zealand’s drug regulator for use in adults.
The approval in New Zealand follows clearance for Novavax’s shot in the UK on Thursday and comes days after the drugmaker applied for US approval for the vaccine after multiple delays.
According to Novavax, the results of two late-stage trials in the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom have shown the overall effectiveness of the protein-based vaccine to be around 90%.
Novavax has a pre-purchase agreement with New Zealand for 10.7 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. Its manufacturing partner, the Serum Institute of India, will provide the initial dosage to the government, Novavax said.
Novavax’s vaccine, which will be sold in New Zealand under the brand name Nuvaxovid, has also received authorization from the European Union and the World Health Organization.
(Reporting by Amruta Khandekar; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
