As Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX) works to get its Covid-19 vaccine to the world and develops a Gaithersburg campus to manufacture its product long term, the biotech is putting another priority at the top of its list: adapting its vaccine to the Omicron variant.
The company said Thursday it’s implementing “a two-pronged variant strategy” that includes assessing how its existing vaccine — not yet to market in the U.S. — protects against the new variant of concern. It also involves developing a vaccine tailored specifically to the Omicron variant.
As part of the first prong of that response, Novavax plans to evaluate in its ongoing studies whether its vaccine induces an immune response, and to what extent. The biotech also plans to test whether antibodies in people who received the vaccine previously protect them from the Omicron variant “with lab-based data expected in the coming weeks,” it said in its statement.
Then there’s Part 2.
“The initial steps required to manufacture an Omicron-specific spike are underway,” Novavax said Thursday. Its team will start assessing the vaccine, matched to the new strain, within a few weeks, and will shoot to start manufacturing that vaccine in January, according to Novavax.
Novavax uses what’s called recombinant nanoparticle technology in its vaccine, making it different from messenger RNA and viral-vector vaccines. It’s the same platform Novavax uses for its experimental seasonal flu and other vaccines, but it swaps in the genetic sequence for the coronavirus in place of the other antigens to fight Covid.
For this candidate, Novavax has been on an aggressive submission spree, getting its applications to agencies across the globe to authorize use of its Covid vaccine. In addition to the World Health Organization, that list includes the United Kingdom, European Union, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, the Philippines and Indonesia — where Novavax earned its first authorization for that vaccine. But all eyes are on Novavax’s long-awaited submission for regulatory approval of its coronavirus vaccine in the U.S., which is expected to happen before year’s end.
It comes as Novavax works toward delivering a new manufacturing hub in Gaithersburg. The company is now assembling its project team, which includes KGD Architecture as the architect and VIKA Inc. as the civil engineer, according to plans Novavax filed with the city of Gaithersburg for its campus expansion.
If given the green light, the proposed project would include two seven-story buildings, a parking garage and green space in the center of the campus. The 180,000-square-foot facility would include laboratory, office and manufacturing space. It may also include up to 5,000 square feet of retail space.
And all in, the footprint would total nearly 605,000 square feet, according to the proposal — ballooning Novavax’s local footprint, currently at 79,000 square feet.
Novavax will seek final action from the mayor and city council at its Dec. 6 meeting.
We have reached out to the company for additional details about their plans for final approval and will update this post as we hear back.
Novavax’s stock moved a bit on the news of its Omicron variant response, hitting a high Thursday morning of $188.91 and dipping to a low of $173.79. Its share price was trading down 5.4% to $182.22 early afternoon.
