Advisers for the U.S. FDA have greenlit Novavax's COVID19 vaccine, which is made of tiny particles studded with the coronavirus spike protein plus honeycomblike molecules, derived from plants, that stimulate the immune system. Learn more about the shot:
GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND—
The company is one of just seven vaccinemakers to win funding so far from Operation Warp Speed, the giant multiagency U.S. government effort aiming to quickly produce at least 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. But most Warp Speed–backed companies are giant pharmaceutical firms, and most have already launched late-stage clinical trials in the United States.
Glenn and other Novavax scientists had spent years developing"protein subunit" vaccines, so named because they employ a protein from the targeted virus, plus an immune-boosting compound called an adjuvant, to provoke an immune response. The company hadn't had a commercial success—its vaccine against a serious respiratory illness failed in clinical trials. But it had produced a promising flu vaccine aimed at older adults, which was nearing the end of a pivotal trial.
Developers of protein vaccines must develop their own version of the spike protein—one that closely mimics the naturally occurring spike and is stable enough to retain its immunological punch during manufacturing, packaging, and distribution. Most such vaccines include an additional compound called an adjuvant to help stimulate a strong, protective immune response. Those extra steps make protein vaccines slower to develop than those that deliver genetic instructions.
In March, a team led by Nita Patel, a senior director in the vaccine development department , confirmed in lab tests that the engineered protein bound tightly to its human cell-surface receptor. The results strongly suggested antibodies to Novavax's protein would interfere with the virus' own spike protein as it tried to fuse with cells.
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