Novavax seeks U.S. authorization for COVID vaccine booster

[August 16, 2022]  (Reuters) -Novavax Inc said on Monday it had filed for U.S. authorization for use of its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose in people who had either received its shots or a different vaccine.

The application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration comes in the face of a slow rollout in the United States, where the Novavax vaccine was authorized in July, despite expectations that it would convince vaccine skeptics to get inoculated.

"It's important for people to have a choice as they evaluate how to stay protected against COVID-19," Chief Executive Officer Stanley Erck said in a statement, referring to the Novavax vaccine that uses a traditional technology.

It is a protein-based vaccine that uses purified pieces of the virus to spur an immune response, a technology that has been used to combat diseases including hepatitis B and influenza.

Vials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Over 9,700 doses of the vaccine have been administered in the United States so far, out of a total 606 million doses given overall. More than 67% of the U.S. population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest federal data.

The company last week halved its full-year revenue forecast as it expects no significant sales of its COVID-19 shot this year in the United States in the face of a supply glut and soft demand.

Novavax's shares rose 2% to $42.31 before the opening bell.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

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