A U.S. based vaccine development company is set tobegin thesecond phase of human testing for its COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa, which isin the midst ofa surge in coronavirus cases.

Novavax said in a statementthat theclinical trialswill include 2,665 healthy adults in South Africa.

The trials will also compare the vaccine's effect on 240 medically stable adults withHIV whoseimmune responses may differ from individuals without HIV.

Preliminary findings from the first trial showed people receiving the two doses generated neutralizing antibodies, which can prevent the virus from entering cells, after receiving a second dose of the vaccine.

Along with evaluating the immune response in the phase 2b trial in South Africa,Novavaxwill also organize a phase 2 trial in the United States and Australiain the near future.

In Novavax's statement, Dr. Gregory Glenn, president of research and development at Novavax said, South Africa's surgein COVID-19 cases lends importance tothe Phase2b clinical trial,with thepotential to provide an early indication of efficacy, along with additional safety and immunogenicity data for the vaccine.

South Africa is the fifth most affected country worldwide, with more than 583,000 coronavirus cases and more than 11,600 deaths.

Novavax said the trial in South Africa is made possible in part from a $15 million grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovationsis providingmoney tomanufacture doses of the vaccine needed for the trial.