Novavax expects to produce COVID-19 vaccine targeting Omicron by fall

Novavax Inc NVAX.O said on Friday it expects to provide a COVID-19 vaccine targeting Omicron in the fourth quarter as it accelerates the development of shots to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

The U.S. FDA on Thursday recommended COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers change the design of their booster shots beginning this fall to include components tailored to combat the currently dominant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

1:47 How reliable are rapid antigen tests against Omicron?

Novavax expects additional preclinical data on shots tailored against the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants in late summer or fall.

The company’s vaccine, based on an earlier strain of the virus, has not yet been authorized in the United States and is currently under U.S. Food and Drug Administration review.

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)