UK Trial On Mix-Match COVID-19 Vaccines Expanded To Add Moderna, Novavax Shots

Researchers said that a U.K. study of using different Covid-19 vaccines in two-dose inoculations is now expanded to include vaccines made by Moderna Inc MRNA and Novavax Inc NVAX, Reuters reports.
The trial, known as the Com-Cov study, was first launched in February this year to assess whether giving the first dose of one type of COVID-19 shot and the second dose of another elicits an immune response as good as using two doses of the same vaccine.
The trial included first included AstraZeneca Plc AZN, and Pfizer Inc PFE, and BioNTech SE BNTX COVID-19 vaccines.
Prof. Matthew Snape, the Chief investigator on the trial, an Oxford University professor, said, “the idea is to explore whether the multiple COVID-19 vaccines that are available can be used more flexibly”.
Adults over 50 who have had the first dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca will be randomly allocated to get either the same vaccine or the Moderna or Novavax vaccine for a second dose.
The trial’s six new arms will each involve 175 people, adding a further 1,050 1,050 volunteers who had already received one dose on the NHS in the past eight to 12 weeks.
The initial mixing trial results, using AstraZeneca and Pfizer shots only, are expected as early as April or May, while the extended phase results are expected in July.
Price Action: NVAX stock is up 1.22% at $197.03, and MRNA shares are trading 2.5% higher at $153.40 during the premarket session on the last check Wednesday.