BRIEF—Health Canada authorizes Novavax COVID-19 vaccine

US biotech Novavax today announced) that Health Canada has granted authorization for Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine (recombinant protein, adjuvanted) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 18 years of age and older.

The vaccine, also known as NVX-CoV2373, is the first protein-based vaccine to be authorized for use in Canada.

Novavax and the government of Canada signed an  advance purchase agreement for 52 million doses of Novavax' COVID-19 vaccine, with the option for up to an additional 24 million doses, in January 2021 and established a  memorandum of understanding to produce NVX-CoV2373 at the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montréal in February 2021.

Novavax and the NRC have been working closely to establish the production of NVX-CoV2373 at the Biologics Manufacturing Centre. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production is expected to begin later this year.