Have you heard about Valneva? They have decided to skip plac | TheHighWire with Del Bigtree

Have you heard about Valneva?
They have decided to skip placebo testing on their Covid19 Designer Vaccine altogether! Read more here:
The French company launched a unique final stage trial on 21 April. Instead of comparing vaccinated people to a group who receive a placebo and tracking illnesses, Valneva’s candidate will be tested head-to-head against AstraZeneca’s widely used shot in 4 000 people, and the study will measure and compare the immune responses via a blood test. If Valneva’s vaccine produces as many neutralising antibodies as AstraZeneca’s, it should theoretically protect against Covid. This approach will produce faster results, and the company hopes to apply for authorisation in the southern hemisphere spring.

Advantages: As others scramble to adapt vaccines to variant strains, Valneva believes that its shot will hold up well from the start. That’s because it uses a
non-infectious (inactive) WHOLE VIRUS to generate a broader immune response. Many vaccines target just the so-called spike protein of the virus that causes Covid, potentially leaving them more vulnerable to mutations.

Challenges: Other efforts using inactive viruses such as the shot developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech have had less than stellar results. Additionally, the comparative trial may not sit well with regulators. There have been advances in understanding the immune response to Covid, and there’s precedent for such studies in other diseases.
But it’s a bold way to try for initial approval.
Valneva plans to conduct additional complementary tests and may need them.

https://valneva.com/about-us/