Novavax, SK bioscience expand agreement to manufacture COVID vaccine containing Omicron variant

The companies signed an agreement for the technology transfer of Novavax' proprietary COVID-19 variant antigen materials so that SK bioscience can manufacture the drug substance targeting COVID-19 variants including the Omicron BA.5 subvariant.

"Non-clinical data generated to date demonstrate that our COVID-19 vaccine offers broad immune responses including against circulating variants, such as Omicron BA.5," said Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax. "We are accelerating our clinical program evaluating an Omicron BA.5 component to our vaccine and look forward to continuing to work with SK bioscience as an important manufacturing partner."

In addition, the companies have signed an agreement to manufacture and supply the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in a prefilled syringe. SK bioscience will begin work to enable the manufacturing process for commercial supply of the vaccine in prefilled syringes in 2023.

Currently, SK bioscience manufactures drug substance for the vaccine. Novavax and SK bioscience also have a collaboration and licensing agreement under which SK bioscience exclusively commercializes the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in South Korea, and with Novavax, jointly commercializes the vaccine in Vietnam and Thailand.