Dec 17 (Reuters) – Biotechnology company Novavax Inc said it had entered an agreement with the government of New Zealand for 10.7 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
“Under the terms of the agreement, Novavax will manufacture NVX-CoV2373 with a target of delivering initial doses by mid-2021”, it said in a statement on Thursday.
The company will work with New Zealand’s regulatory agency, Medsafe for approvals, it added.
Categories: Vaccine
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a late-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced an Advance Purchase Agreement with the government of New Zealand for the purchase of 10.7 million doses of NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’ candidate vaccine against COVID-19.
Currently in Phase 3 clinical testing in the United Kingdom for the prevention of COVID-19, NVX-CoV2373 is a recombinant protein vaccine adjuvanted with Novavax’ proprietary Matrix-M™ to enhance the immune response.
Novavax, Inc.
Wed, December 16, 2020, 7:08 PM EST
Advance purchase agreement signed for NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’ adjuvanted protein vaccine candidate
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a late-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced an Advance Purchase Agreement with the government of New Zealand for the purchase of 10.7 million doses of NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’ candidate vaccine against COVID-19.
Currently in Phase 3 clinical testing in the United Kingdom for the prevention of COVID-19, NVX-CoV2373 is a recombinant protein vaccine adjuvanted with Novavax’ proprietary Matrix-M™ to enhance the immune response.
“The global reach of the pandemic requires that all regions of the world have an adequate supply of vaccine available to protect their entire citizenry,” said Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novavax. “We appreciate the confidence of the government of New Zealand and are pleased to contribute to ensuring that New Zealanders will have access to a protein-based vaccine through standard distribution channels, should it receive regulatory approval.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Novavax will manufacture NVX-CoV2373 with a target of delivering initial doses by mid-2021. The company will work with Medsafe, New Zealand’s regulatory agency, to obtain product approvals as needed. Given the urgency of timely approval and delivery of vaccine during the pandemic, the regulatory review process may leverage review by prioritized regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency and/or Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority in the United Kingdom.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/novavax-announces-agreement-government-zealand-000800076.html
Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) rises 4% in premarket, as the European Union has concluded preliminary agreement to secure up to 200M doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX‑CoV2373.
The deal announced would offer the possibility to purchase 100M doses with the option of buying another 100M doses.
The possible deal with Novavax would be the seventh sealed by the EU with vaccine makers for the supply of COVID-19 shots. It already has agreements with AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech, CureVac, Moderna and Sanofi-GSK for ~2B doses.
Separately, the company announced an agreement with the government of New Zealand for purchase of 10.7M doses for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Initial doses to be delivered by mid-2021.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3645242-eu-commission-novavax-announce-preliminary-vaccine-supply-accord
MANILA: The Philippines expects to receive 30 million doses of Novavax Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine by July next year, its foreign minister said on Monday, boosting the country’s effort to secure supplies to inoculate more than 100 million people.
Despite consultations with numerous vaccine makers, the Philippines has so far signed only one supply deal, with the help of its private sector, to acquire 2.6 million shots of a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca.
It plans to buy 25 million doses of a vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech for delivery by March and aims to secure between four and 25 million doses of vaccines from Moderna and Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc.
“Thirty million dosages of the Indian-made Novavax vaccines are assured possibly with no cash advance. It will be available by July 2021,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
He said the information came from Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, and that the terms of the supply deal may be signed before the end of the year.
There was no immediate comment from the institute, which in August entered a supply and license agreement with Novavax Inc. for the development and commercialization of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Talks with Moderna, which has been granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration, will begin next week, Locsin said.
With 459,789 infections and 8,947 deaths, the Philippines has recorded the second-highest number of COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1780466/world
While Novavax entered the Covid vaccine race in the Spring, along with Moderna and Pfizer/BioNtech who have now started rolling out their vaccines, the company has faced delays in its timeline. The first readouts from its phase 3 trials are expected around Q1 2021 – likely one quarter behind the front runners. Only after these results are available will the company be able to file for emergency approval and rollout its vaccine. While this may not be a big deal considering that there’s enough room for multiple Covid vaccines, Novavax might miss out on relatively more lucrative orders from developed markets. For instance, the U.S. is now expected to increase its order for Pfizer’s vaccine to another 100 million doses.
Margins for the vaccine could also be a concern. Novavax’s vaccine is based on subunits – essentially using a fragment of the virus – and the manufacturing process is apparently more complex compared to the method used in messenger RNA vaccines including Moderna’s. This could potentially make the Novavax vaccine more expensive to manufacture. Based on a supply agreement with the U.S. government, the Novavax vaccine will be priced at about $16 per dose, below the $19.50 for Pfizer’s vaccine and as much as $37 per dose for Moderna’s. The potentially more complex manufacturing process and lower prices could mean that margins might be lower.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2020/12/24/novavax-stock-what-are-the-risks/?sh=23308c8c37ac