Novavax Buys Up Czech Company to Increase Vaccine Production

Maryland-based Novavax is expanding its manufacturing capacity for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate by acquiring a manufacturer in the Czech Republic as drugmakers rush to prepare for the global deployment of a successful vaccine.

The $167 million acquisition of Praha Vaccines is expected to provide an annual capacity of more than 1 billion doses of antigen for Novavax’s vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373, starting in 2021.

Praha Vaccines is part of the India-based Poonawalla Group that includes the Serum Institute of India, a manufacturer of pediatric vaccines. Novavax said it will work with the Serum Institute to increase production at the Czech plant by the end of the year.

The acquisition is supported by funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has granted Novavax up to $388 million for clinical development of its vaccine candidate (DID, May 13).

Novavax is conducting a phase 1/2 trial of its vaccine in Australia. The trial will initially involve 130 healthy participants at two sites and is expected to deliver preliminary results in July. The phase 2 trial is expected to be conducted in multiple countries, including the U.S., according to the company. — James Miessler