Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Prepares for American Authorization
Hopes are growing that a dark-horse coronavirus vaccine from a tiny U.S. drugmaker can shore up supplies in the U.S. and globally as safety concerns and production problems shadow shots from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
The vaccine’s developer, Novavax, has never brought a product to market. The shot entered late-stage clinical trials months after candidates from bigger names like Pfizer and Moderna. But the Novavax vaccine proved just as potent as those mRNA shots in a U.K. trial, and the company is now preparing to file for U.S. authorization in a matter of weeks — potentially leapfrogging AstraZeneca, a former frontrunner.
Novavax’s rise comes as pressure to increase the supply of Covid-19 vaccines is growing amid concerns that unequal access globally will extend the pandemic. The company has pledged to provide 100 million doses of its shot to the U.S. later this year, after receiving $1.6 billion for development and manufacturing. It’s also one of a handful of manufacturers to promise significant deliveries worldwide, including 1.1 billion doses for low- and middle-income countries like India, where cases are skyrocketing.
