• The signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Gavi and Novavax is to make a cumulative volume of 1.1 billion doses of the Novavax vaccine candidate available to the COVAX Facility

• This cumulative volume of doses will be provided to COVAX based on terms defined in the final advance purchase agreement with Novavax, once signed, and via an existing agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII)

• Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi: “This agreement helps the COVAX Facility close in on the goal of delivering two billion doses in 2021 and increases the range of vaccines available to us as we build a portfolio suitable for all settings and contexts.”

Geneva, 18 February 2021 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced today that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Novavax that, combined with a separate existing agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII), will provide a total of 1.1 billion doses of the company’s NVX-CoV2373 COVID-19 vaccine candidate to the COVAX Facility. The MoU lays the foundation for agreement on final terms via an advance purchase agreement and is a critical step toward making sure doses of the vaccine, if approved and licensed, will be made available to all countries and economies participating in the COVAX Facility.

The 1.1 billion cumulative volume of doses will be made available to the Facility via both a final advance purchase agreement with Novavax, once signed, and an existing agreement between Gavi and the Serum Institute of India (SII) made possible by a technology transfer agreement, at no cost, between Novavax and SII and facilitated by UNICEF’s fully executed Long Term Agreement with SII. The proportion of overall volume supplied to the COVAX Facility directly by Novavax will be the subject of discussions that will form an eventual advance purchase agreement.

“This agreement brings the COVAX Facility one step closer to its goal of supplying vaccines globally and ending the acute phase of the pandemic,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi. “It helps us close in on our goal of delivering two billion doses in 2021 and increases the range of vaccines available to us as we build a portfolio suitable for all settings and contexts.”

NVX-CoV2373 is part of the COVAX R&D portfolio, and the development and manufacturing of the vaccine have been accelerated by investments by COVAX co-lead CEPI. CEPI’s investments were directly linked to equitable access commitments which have been key to enabling this MoU.

“With this MoU in place, the vaccine candidate developed by our partners at Novavax is poised to play a significant role in combatting COVID-19 around the world,” said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. “CEPI’s investments in this vaccine have been pivotal to enabling equitable access to a significant volume of this vaccine through COVAX.”

As co-lead for COVAX, Gavi oversees the design, coordination and implementation of the COVAX Facility, a global mechanism which seeks to procure, equitably allocate and deliver at least 2 billion doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021. 98 higher-income economies have signed up as self-financing members of the Facility, joining 92 low-and middle-income economies who will have their participation supported by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC).

“Gavi’s role in ensuring widespread and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide is critical to solving this global public health crisis,” said Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax. “This partnership represents significant progress in Novavax’ quest to deliver an urgently needed safe and effective vaccine across the globe.”

The Gavi-administered COVAX Facility is part of COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, Civil Society Organisations and others. COVAX is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to economies of all financial means.

Media Contacts

Meghana Sharafudeen, Gavi
+41 79 711 5554
msharafudeen@gavi.org