The most promising coronavirus vaccine you’ve never heard of

Novavax’s rise comes as pressure to increase the supply of Covid-19 vaccines is growing amid concerns that unequal access globally will extend the pandemic. The company has pledged to provide 100 million doses of its shot to the U.S. later this year, after receiving $1.6 billion for development and manufacturing. It’s also one of a handful of manufacturers to promise significant deliveries worldwide, including 1.1 billion doses for low- and middle-income countries like India, where cases are skyrocketing. The next few months will determine whether Novavax can overcome its bumpy start and deliver on those increasingly high expectations. The company has enlisted production partners worldwide after struggling to scrape together the tens of thousands of doses needed for its clinical trials. Those hired factories are still getting up to speed with Novavax’s vaccine technology, which uses moth cells to brew batches of the coronavirus spike protein. In non-pandemic times, such retrofitting can take years. The company is aiming to pump out 150 million doses a month by the second half of the year. “I do think it’s going to play a larger role,” said Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor at Georgetown University. “In the short to medium term, at least, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has taken a reputational hit and people are more hesitant to take it. In addition, J&J has had major production problems at its Baltimore plant. And as a result I think Novavax is going to be a reasonably significant player.”