In expanded deal with India, Novax aims for 2 billion COVID-19 doses

New Delhi, Sep 16: Novax Inc, the US drug developer said that it was doubling its potential COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity to two billion doses annually under and agreement with the Serum Institute of India.

Novax had in August signed a deal with Serum Institute to produce a minimum of one billion doses of its vaccine candidate.

Serum Institute will also manufacture the antigen component of the vaccine, dubbed NVX CoV2373 as part of the expanded agreement. The Novax vaccine is currently in the mid-stage trials after an early stage showed it produced highest levels of antibodies against the coronavirus. The company has plant to begin late stage trials in the third quarter.

Novax had said last month that it will supply 60 million doses of its vaccine candidate to the UK beginning as early as the first quarter of 2021. The company is also preparing to deliver 100 million doses to the United States by January. It was awarded 1.6 billion USD for its potential vaccine. Further supply agreements were also signed with Japan and Canada.