Novavax Covid-19 vaccine shipments held up by regulatory processes
Novavax, the maker of the Covid-19 vaccine most recently approved by the UK’s medicines regulator, has reportedly delivered a small fraction of the two billion doses it has promised this year.
The US biotech firm has delayed its first-quarter shipments in Europe and lower income countries such as the Philippines, Reuters first reported, citing public officials.
Novavax said it has delivered around 10m doses of its Nuvaxovid vaccine to Indonesia, with additional shipments to Australia and New Zealand arriving on Monday, worth several million doses each.
Shipments have reportedly been held up by regulatory processes and are currently sitting in a distribution warehouse to go to healthcare providers.
The news prompted the US firm’s shares to sink more than 12 per cent to $12.08 per share.
The Nuvaxovid vaccine, approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last week, is the fifth jab to be authorised for use in the country.
While it has secured the approval of the medicines watchdog, it is now up to the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination (JCIV) to consider it as part of the UK’s vaccination programme, health secretary Sajid Javid explained on Thursday.
“I want the UK to be the best place in the world to conduct clinical trials,” Javid said at the time.
“It’s a testament to the country’s first-rate research and development capabilities for vaccines – with tens of thousands of people taking part in clinical trials here in the UK, contributing to the invaluable research that shows our vaccines are safe and effective.”