Novavax (NVAX 4.18%) recently reported very good results from a late-stage study conducted in the United Kingdom of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The company's CEO wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider emergency use authorization for the vaccine based on this U.K. data rather than waiting a few months for results from a U.S. late-stage study. In this Motley Fool Live video recorded on Feb. 3, 2021, Fool.com contributors Keith Speights and Brian Orelli discuss whether or not Novavax could win U.S. authorization for its COVID vaccine sooner than expected.
Keith Speights: Hey, speaking of Novavax, the company's CEO, Stanley Erck, said something interesting late last week. He stated that he thinks the FDA should allow the use of that U.K. data for its U.S. emergency use authorization filing. Eric said that Novavax is talking with FDA about this possibility. What do you think the odds are that the FDA are going to go along with this idea?
Brian Orelli: I think if we didn't have any other vaccines, I think that that would be a lot more likely than now we have two vaccines and they seem to be churning along manufacturing. I think it's less likely now with them being the third vaccine than it would be if they were the only vaccine.
I think if they were the only vaccine, I think that the FDA would be more likely to go along with that. But given that it's only going to speed up the launch of Novavax's vaccine by a couple of months, and we already have vaccine coming out, I'm not sure that it really matters that much.
