Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Novavax is still awaiting regulatory approval for its COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., but already has a deal to sell the vaccine here.
The Biden administration announced on Monday it would buy 3.2 million doses of the protein-based Novavax vaccine, contingent on final emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. An independent FDA panel recommended approval of the vaccine last month.
It would be the only protein-based vaccine available for use — a more traditional type of vaccine which Novavax believes will appeal to people who have been hesitant to get one of the mRNA vaccines currently approved.
It can also be stored at much higher refrigeration temperatures. It is a two-dose vaccine that would initially be available as a primary vaccine, with potential approval as a booster to follow.
The U.S. purchase agreement is also contingent on recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It would be made available for free to states, jurisdictions, federal pharmacy partners, and federally qualified health centers.
The Novavax vaccine is already approved and in use in several other countries.