Md. biotech sees good results from respiratory virus vaccine trial

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Novavax Inc., a Gaithersburg-based biotechnology company, on Tuesday announced that it had seen positive data from its phase 2 trial of its respiratory syncytial virus F-protein nanoparticle vaccine candidate.

There is no approved vaccine for the virus, which is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections and the leading viral cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children worldwide.

Novavax conducted the trial with 300 older adults to assess the vaccine candidate’s safety and its ability to provoke an immune response. When the vaccine candidate was combined with either aluminum phosphate or Novavax’s Matrix-M agent, the magnitude, duration and quality of the immune response for both were significantly increased relative to a control dose of the vaccine candidate.

Dr. Gregory Glenn, Novavax’s president of research and development, said in a statement that the findings are a positive sign for the future of protecting people from exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.