Vaxart announces publication of a peer-reviewed journal article showing the potential clinical and economic value of a norovirus vaccine.

Vaxart, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral vaccines that are administered by tablet rather than by injection, including a Phase II ready norovirus program, announced health care economic findings published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. Computational modeling simulating norovirus infection and transmission in a community setting showed that a potential norovirus vaccine can avert symptomatic cases and result in cost savings. The study found, among other things, that vaccination against the norovirus can reduce the economic burden of the virus and is cost effective even if priced at $500 per course when vaccinating children under 5 and older adults, a much higher value than previously estimated. The manuscript is titled, “Potential Clinical and Economic Value of Norovirus Vaccination in the Community Setting”. The PHICOR ((Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research)) team developed a computational simulation model of different segments of the US population and the spread of norovirus to better understand the value of vaccinating children less than 5 years and adults greater than 65 years old against norovirus. The model simulated the spread of norovirus, subsequent clinical outcomes (e.g., symptoms, hospitalization, death) and associated costs (e.g., direct medical, productivity loss), as well as vaccination. Key Findings : Even with a 25% vaccine efficacy and 10% vaccination coverage, a norovirus vaccine could decrease symptomatic cases in a community by a relative 7.7%. In preschool-aged children, the cost of vaccination could be as high as $1,300 and still provide cost-savings and as high as $1,600 and still be cost-effective. Vaccinating children aged less than 5 years old had a substantially higher benefit compared to vaccinating older adults as children under 5 years contribute considerably to norovirus spread. However, vaccinating older adults can still be cost-effective or cost-saving. In older adults, the cost of vaccination could be as high as $100 and still provide cost-savings and as high as $165 and still be cost-effective. See- "Potential Clinical and Economic Value of Norovirus Vaccination in the Community Setting"_ Sarah M. Bartsch, MPH. Kelly J. O'Shea, BSFS. Patrick T. Wedlock, MPH. Marie C. Ferguson, MSPH. Sheryl S. Siegmund, MS. Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA. Published:January 26, 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.10.022.