Novavax and SK Group鈥檚 vaccine business subsidiary, SK Bioscience, have expanded collaboration and license agreement for manufacturing and commercialisation of the former鈥檚 Covid-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, for sale to the Korean government.
NVX-CoV2373 is a protein-based vaccine candidate engineered from the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, adjuvanted with Novavax鈥檚 Matrix-M.
With the agreement expansion, SK Bioscience will also increase production capacity.
The latest development is in addition to an already existing manufacturing arrangement between the companies for developing and supplying the protein antigen component of NVX-CoV2373 to be supplied to global markets such as the COVAX Facility.
This agreement calls for technology transfer linked to Novavax鈥檚 protein antigen manufacturing, Matrix M adjuvant supply and extending support to SK Bioscience to obtain regulatory approval.
Parallelly, SK Bioscience finalised an advance purchase agreement with the Korean government to supply 40 million doses of the vaccine starting this year.
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By GlobalDataNovavax president and CEO Stanley Erck said: 鈥淪K Bioscience shares our sense of urgency to deliver a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine to protect the global population, including the people of South Korea.
鈥淲e are proud to expand our partnership, which is another great milestone for both companies toward increasing the supply of NVX-CoV2373.鈥�
The company noted that the technology transfer and stepping up of production are progressing well under the previously announced collaboration.
Furthermore, NVX-CoV2373 is the first vaccine to show clinical efficacy against the original strain as well as the UK and South African variants of Covid-19.
SK Bioscience CEO Jaeyong Ahn said: 鈥淲e are honoured to continue to manufacture Novavax鈥檚 innovative Covid-19 vaccine and provide a supply to the Korean Government through this agreement.
鈥淲e appreciate the collaboration of the Korean Government and Novavax to make possible this momentous step forward.鈥�
