Novavax to Sell U.S. Government 1.5 Million More Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

Novavax A deal was reached with the U.S. to supply 1.5 million doses of vaccines. COVID-19 A late entrant to a market in the which the biggest buyers have stopped purchasing vaccine

The Maryland-based biotech company reported on Feb. 13 that it has agreed with the U.S. government to modify an existing contract but didn’t disclose how much it will be paid for the vaccine doses.

The amended agreement will also allow for the development of smaller dose vials and strain selection in accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendations. “smooth transition to the commercial market,” According to the company.

This move shows that the Biden administration is still trying to diversify its COVID-19 vaccination arsenal with non-mRNA vaccines. Novavax is a subunit vaccine that injects directly a virus spike protein into the body. This stimulates the production of antibodies.

By contrast, Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna vaccines work by introducing mRNA into the recipient’s muscle cells, which then produce copies of the spike protein to trigger an immune response.

“This agreement acknowledges the need to offer the American people a diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio and underscores the importance of Novavax’s partnership with the U.S. government to ensure continuous access to a protein-based option as part of public health measures,” John Jacobs, Novavax CEO and president.

The FDA approved Novavax emergency use for individuals aged 18 and over in July 2022. The FDA approved Novavax’s use as a booster to those who received Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccinations as their primary vaccine in October 2022. The U.S. has purchased 3.2 millions doses.

Biden’s administration indicated that it will soon cease buying COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. According to Dr. Ashish Jaha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, the shift could occur as soon as this summer or autumn.

“All I can say, because I literally don’t know, we don’t have the specific dates, is that it’s going to happen sometime over the summer into early fall. And you’ll see that transition, and we’ll kind of give people as much notice as we can possibly give,” Jha earlier this month during a webinar hosted by the University of California–San Francisco.

Japan cancels Novavax deal

Japanese public health officials have, however, cancelled an order for almost 142 million Novavax vaccines. The vaccines were sold in Asia under the brand Nuvaxovid.

The Japanese government has agreed to buy 150 million doses Nuvaxovid from Takeda, a Japanese pharmaceutical giant. In A report Filled on February 10, with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission. However, Takeda stated, “Japan no longer wants to purchase the remaining 141.76 Million doses.”

“Available doses of Nuvaxovid already supplied to the market can still be used as an option for individuals who cannot receive a bivalent omicron mRNA vaccine, or who wish to receive a recombinant protein vaccine,” Takeda is also contracted to produce and distribute Moderna vaccinations in Japan, stated Takeda.

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