Baxter BioPharma Solutions to manufacture Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine

Baxter BioPharma Solutions has entered into an agreement to provide sterile manufacturing services for NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’s COVID-19 recombinant nanoparticle vaccine candidate with Matrix-M™ adjuvant.

According to Novavax, the agreement should advance the commercial-scale manufacturing required for the vaccine to be produced and distributed in the UK and European markets once it is authorised for use. NVX-CoV2373 is currently in Phase III trials. 

“The quest to develop vaccines for COVID-19 has reinforced the opportunity for industry partners to work together and contribute their unique capabilities and expertise for the benefit of all,” said Marie Keeley, vice president, Baxter BioPharma Solutions. “We welcome the opportunity to work with an innovative company like Novavax and look forward to helping bring their vaccine candidate to the market.”

NVX-CoV2373 contains a full-length, prefusion Spike (S) protein made using Novavax’s recombinant nanoparticle technology and proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M™ adjuvant. The purified protein is produced in insect cells and can neither cause COVID-19 disease, nor replicate. Additionally, Novavax says the vaccine is stable between two and eight degree Celsius and comes in a ready-to-use liquid formulation that permits distribution using standard vaccine supply chain channels. 

“Our priority is to bring a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine to people around the world,” said Rick Crowley, executive vice president and chief operations officer at Novavax. “Partners like Baxter BioPharma Solutions are enabling Novavax to quickly establish a commercial supply chain network to ensure access for global populations, and ultimately help bring about an end to the global COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Baxter will manufacture NVX-CoV2373 in its state-of-the-art facility in Halle/Westfalen, Germany. The site has broad sterile manufacturing capabilities and offers current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) manufacturing. The company recently expanded its Halle/Westfalen facility, which has been in operation for more than 60 years.

Additional details of the agreement were not disclosed.