CureVac, a COVID-19 vaccine backed by the German government, has failed its vaccine trial. Results showed that the vaccine only has 47% efficacy.
In a report by Reuters, German biotech company CureVac NV said that a late-stage trial for the vaccine showed that it did not reach their target efficacy. The World Health Organization (WHO) looks for at least 70% efficacy in vaccine while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prefers 50% efficacy.
The study, which was conducted in European and Latin American countries, had 40,000 participants. Its results also showed that the CureVac is effective in younger participants, but showed no efficacy for those aged 60 years old and above.
According to the company, 13 variants of the COVID-19 virus were seen among the study population. Out of all the cases sequenced as part of the study, only one contained the original version of the virus.
As news of the vaccine's 47% efficacy was made public, the company's stock value tanked more than 50%.
CureVac Failure: What It Means for Europe, Low-Income Countries
Europe has been particularly enthusiastic about the CureVac, especially after age restrictions were placed on vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The two vaccines were found in studies to cause extremely rare blood clotting.
According to the same report by Reuters, CureVac's failure in its vaccine trial puts in jeopardy the 405 million doses secured by the European Union last year. Only 180 million of those doses are optional.
CureVac was also seen as a solution for low to middle-income countries' vaccination woes. With the demand for vaccines at an all-time high all over the world, CureVac was seen as a potential option for low to middle-income countries.
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What is CureVac?
CureVac is an mRNA vaccine, much like Pfizer and Moderna, that is backed by the German government as well as investors such as the Gates Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline.
The German company developing the vaccine was established in 2000 and is based in Tübingen.
Efficacy of Other COVID-19 Vaccines
Efficacy refers to the ability to produce a desired or intended result. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccines, efficacy can be seen as the ability of the vaccine to protect the human body from the virus.
According to the Pharmaceutical Journal, the efficacy of other COVID-19 vaccines are as follows:
Pfizer - 94.6% efficacy based on a study published on December 31, 2020. Further studies have since been published to show Pfizer's efficacy against different COVID-19 strains.
Moderna - 94.1% efficacy after the second dose in clinical trials
Janssen - A study published on April 21 showed 66.1% efficacy.
Novavax - Data from a UK trial published on March 15 show 89.7% efficacy
Also Read: Priest Creates New Oral COVID-19 Vaccine Yeast-Based Works With Water, Milk, and Wine
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isabella James
