Novavax Announces Deal to Expand Facilities as Company Works on Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate

American vaccine development company Novavax announced two deals this week to expand its manufacturing and other space at its Maryland headquarters campus.

The company, which is readying its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, said that it had signed a 15-year lease for 122,000 square feet near its Gaithersburg, Md., campus and will immediately prepare that site for use in early 2021.

Novavax also said it bought a 9.7-acre parcel in the city, through an affiliate, to handle future growth. The company now occupies 79,000 square feet in Gaithersburg.

According to the company’s news release, Novavax needs the additional manufacturing, office and research & development space to accommodate its growth. The company is in the final-phase clinical trials on its Covid-19 vaccine candidate and also has some influenza vaccine candidates in the works. Novavax is additionally working on a single combination vaccine for both Covid-19 and the flu.

Novavax is the fifth company or partnership to start Phase 3 clinical trials on a Covid-19 vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373. Early 2021 is considered the earliest its vaccine, if its trials succeed, could be approved.

NVX-CoV2373 is a vaccine candidate engineered from the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. NVX-CoV2373 was created using Novavax’ recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike (S) protein and contains Novavax’ patented saponin-based Matrix-M™ adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies. NVX-CoV2373 contains purified protein antigen and cannot replicate, nor can it cause COVID-19.

In preclinical trials, NVX-CoV2373 demonstrated induction of antibodies that block binding of spike protein to receptors targeted by the virus, a critical aspect for effective vaccine protection. In the Phase 1 portion of its Phase 1/2 clinical trial, NVX-CoV2373 was generally well-tolerated and elicited robust antibody responses numerically superior to that seen in human convalescent sera. NVX-CoV2373 is also being evaluated in a Phase 3 trial in the UK and two ongoing Phase 2 studies that began in August; a Phase 2b trial in South Africa, and a Phase 1/2 continuation in the U.S. and Australia. Novavax has secured $2 billion in funding for its global coronavirus vaccine program, including up to $388 million in funding from the Coalition for
Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

“The expansion of our physical footprint reflects Novavax’ significant growth as we work to both rapidly deliver a COVID-19 vaccine and progress NanoFlu, our influenza vaccine candidate, for regulatory submission and potential commercialization,” said Stanley C. Erck, President and CEO, Novavax.

“We appreciate the support, partnership and speed of the Maryland Department of Commerce, Montgomery County, and the City of Gaithersburg, which have enabled the expansion of our operations, enhanced our ability to retain and attract highly skilled employees, and reinforced our longstanding commitment to the biotechnology sector in Maryland.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.