A New Era of Vaccines
For Canada

Novavax, Inc. is a US-based biotechnology company committed to helping address serious infectious diseases globally through the discovery, development, and delivery of innovative vaccines to patients around the world.

Our technology

Our vaccine technology leverages our proprietary recombinant protein-based nanoparticle technology and the immunogenicity-enhancing properties of our Matrix-M™ adjuvant.

Nanoparticles: By organizing recombinant proteins in a nanoparticle, it helps the immune system recognize that target protein from different angles1—the same way that the immune system would see the details of a real pathogen. In our vaccines, there’s no actual virus, just the protein.

Matrix-M adjuvant: Our Matrix-M adjuvant comes from saponins, naturally occurring compounds in the bark of the Quillaja saponaria (Soapbark) tree, commonly found in Chile. Saponins have a long history of being used for their medicinal properties.2 A vaccine containing another saponin-based adjuvant has previously been authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).3

Our areas of research

The world urgently needs new tools to help solve some of our greatest infectious disease challenges. Novavax is applying our unique technology to address current, emerging, and future public health threats. Novavax continually conducts clinical trials, investigations, and gathers real-world evidence in order to develop vaccines to address public health threats. Our scientists in our research and development (R&D) programs are committed to the efficient delivery of new vaccines while maintaining the safety of participants who take part in our trials.

Our areas of research
COVID-19 summary4-6
Covid virus illustration

Pathogenic agent: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2)

Location: Worldwide

Transmission: Breathing airborne virus-containing droplets dispersed during coughing, sneezing, or speaking among people in close contact; poorly ventilated or crowded settings; hand contact with contaminated surfaces spread to eyes, nose, or mouth by touching

Global epidemiology:

  • As of November 2022, there have been approximately 628 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally. Of those, it is estimated that almost 6.6 million have resulted in death due to COVID-19
  • May affect people of any age group; higher risk of severe disease in elderly (over 65 years) and people with chronic conditions (hypertension, heart/lung disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer)
Seasonal influenza summary7,8
Seasonal influenza illustrations

Pathogenic agent: Influenza A virus and influenza B virus

Location: Worldwide

Transmission: Breathing airborne (up to 1 meter) virus-containing droplets dispersed by coughs and sneezes of infected people; virus-contaminated hand contact

Global epidemiology:

  • Seasonal flu epidemics occur each winter in temperate climates, while in tropical climates they may occur year-round
  • Annual epidemics cause an estimated 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness worldwide
  • Up to approximately 500,000 influenza-related deaths per annum
  • Higher risk of complications in pregnant women, children under 5 years and elderly people over 65 years
  • Higher risk of contracting influenza for healthcare workers
RSV summary9-13
Respiratory syncytial virus illustration

Pathogenic agent: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Location: Worldwide

Transmission: Coughs and sneezes from infected persons, hand contact with different surfaces, seasonal pattern of annual epidemics which peaks in winter months

Global epidemiology:

  • Nearly all children are infected with RSV at least once within the first 2 years of life
  • Due to the lack of routine testing, quantifying disease burden is challenging
  • RSV is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and young children, and significantly impacts older people aged 60+ years
  • RSV-associated LRTI were estimated to account for between approximately 94,600 and 149,400 deaths in children under five years in 2015
  • It was estimated in 2005, there was 33.8 million RSV-associated LRTIs which resulted in 3.4 million hospital admissions for children under five years globally
MERS summary14-17
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) illustration

Pathogenic agent: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Location: 27 countries in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia; 80% of cases reported in Saudi Arabia

Transmission: Direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels; infrequent human-to-human contact within households and healthcare settings

Epidemiology:

  • Since outbreak first reported in 2012, 858 known deaths due to MERS-CoV and related complications
  • Case-fatality rate (CFR) up to 35%
  • MERS affects people of both sexes (64.5% were male) and all age groups, with more severe disease occurring in older people and those with comorbid conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart and lung disease or a weakened immune system
SARS summary18-20
Severe acute respiratory syndrome image

Pathogenic agent: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)

Location: China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, limited cases in other countries in Asia, Europe, USA

Transmission: Droplets of saliva; hand contact with contaminated surfaces; trajectory of 2003 epidemic linked with air travel routes

Epidemiology:

  • The 2003 SARS outbreak caused over 8000 infections and 800 deaths worldwide
  • Case-fatality rate (CFR) estimated up to 9.6% worldwide
  • Occurs in mostly healthy patients aged 25-70 years
Malaria summary21
Malaria illustration

Pathogenic agent: Plasmodium species (five Plasmodium species known to cause malaria; of these, P. falciparum and P. vivax pose the greatest threat)

Location: Sub-Saharan Africa (94% cases), Southeast Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, Americas (ie, warmer regions of the world)

Transmission: Spreads through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes

Epidemiology:

  • There were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 globally
  • These resulted in 409,000 malaria deaths worldwide
  • Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria, accounting for two-thirds of all malaria deaths worldwide
  • Total funding for malaria control and elimination reached an estimated $3 billion in 2019
Ebola virus disease summary22,23
Ebola virus disease illustration Novavax

Pathogenic agent: Ebola virus

Location: Central Africa, West Africa

Transmission: Ebola virus spreads via contact with blood and body fluids or contaminated objects and formites

Epidemiology

  • During the last half-century, there have been 43 outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Equatorial Africa
  • The largest outbreak so far occurred in West Africa and caused 28,652 infections and 11,325 deaths between 2013 and 2016
  • Case-fatality rate (CFR) is estimated at 40%–50%
  • The outbreak cost an estimated $2.2 billion to the economy of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 2015

Our current areas of research include

COVID-19 summary4-6
Covid virus illustration

Pathogenic agent: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2)

Location: Worldwide

Transmission: Breathing airborne virus-containing droplets dispersed during coughing, sneezing, or speaking among people in close contact; poorly ventilated or crowded settings; hand contact with contaminated surfaces spread to eyes, nose, or mouth by touching

Global epidemiology:

  • As of November 2022, there have been approximately 628 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally. Of those, it is estimated that almost 6.6 million have resulted in death due to COVID-19
  • May affect people of any age group; higher risk of severe disease in elderly (over 65 years) and people with chronic conditions (hypertension, heart/lung disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer)
Seasonal influenza summary7,8
Seasonal influenza illustrations

Pathogenic agent: Influenza A virus and influenza B virus

Location: Worldwide

Transmission: Breathing airborne (up to 1 meter) virus-containing droplets dispersed by coughs and sneezes of infected people; virus-contaminated hand contact

Global epidemiology:

  • Seasonal flu epidemics occur each winter in temperate climates, while in tropical climates they may occur year-round
  • Annual epidemics cause an estimated 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness worldwide
  • Up to approximately 500,000 influenza-related deaths per annum
  • Higher risk of complications in pregnant women, children under 5 years and elderly people over 65 years
  • Higher risk of contracting influenza for healthcare workers
RSV summary9-13
Respiratory syncytial virus illustration

Pathogenic agent: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Location: Worldwide

Transmission: Coughs and sneezes from infected persons, hand contact with different surfaces, seasonal pattern of annual epidemics which peaks in winter months

Global epidemiology:

  • Nearly all children are infected with RSV at least once within the first 2 years of life
  • Due to the lack of routine testing, quantifying disease burden is challenging
  • RSV is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and young children, and significantly impacts older people aged 60+ years
  • RSV-associated LRTI were estimated to account for between approximately 94,600 and 149,400 deaths in children under five years in 2015
  • It was estimated in 2005, there was 33.8 million RSV-associated LRTIs which resulted in 3.4 million hospital admissions for children under five years globally
MERS summary14-17
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) illustration

Pathogenic agent: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Location: 27 countries in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia; 80% of cases reported in Saudi Arabia

Transmission: Direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels; infrequent human-to-human contact within households and healthcare settings

Epidemiology:

  • Since outbreak first reported in 2012, 858 known deaths due to MERS-CoV and related complications
  • Case-fatality rate (CFR) up to 35%
  • MERS affects people of both sexes (64.5% were male) and all age groups, with more severe disease occurring in older people and those with comorbid conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart and lung disease or a weakened immune system
SARS summary18-20
Severe acute respiratory syndrome image

Pathogenic agent: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)

Location: China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, limited cases in other countries in Asia, Europe, USA

Transmission: Droplets of saliva; hand contact with contaminated surfaces; trajectory of 2003 epidemic linked with air travel routes

Epidemiology:

  • The 2003 SARS outbreak caused over 8000 infections and 800 deaths worldwide
  • Case-fatality rate (CFR) estimated up to 9.6% worldwide
  • Occurs in mostly healthy patients aged 25-70 years
Malaria summary21
Malaria illustration

Pathogenic agent: Plasmodium species (five Plasmodium species known to cause malaria; of these, P. falciparum and P. vivax pose the greatest threat)

Location: Sub-Saharan Africa (94% cases), Southeast Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, Americas (ie, warmer regions of the world)

Transmission: Spreads through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes

Epidemiology:

  • There were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 globally
  • These resulted in 409,000 malaria deaths worldwide
  • Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria, accounting for two-thirds of all malaria deaths worldwide
  • Total funding for malaria control and elimination reached an estimated $3 billion in 2019
Ebola virus disease summary22,23
Ebola virus disease illustration Novavax

Pathogenic agent: Ebola virus

Location: Central Africa, West Africa

Transmission: Ebola virus spreads via contact with blood and body fluids or contaminated objects and formites

Epidemiology

  • During the last half-century, there have been 43 outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Equatorial Africa
  • The largest outbreak so far occurred in West Africa and caused 28,652 infections and 11,325 deaths between 2013 and 2016
  • Case-fatality rate (CFR) is estimated at 40%–50%
  • The outbreak cost an estimated $2.2 billion to the economy of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 2015

Clinical trials

At Novavax we are committed to transparency, and we share results from our clinical trials, as well as publish the purpose of each, eligibility of participants, and location of the study. Every trial we run involving one of our vaccine candidates can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov.

How to contact Novavax
General inquiries

1-855-239-9172
09:30 - 21:30 NST
Monday - Friday

More information is available on our global website, novavax.com.

Our location: 
Novavax, Inc.
21 Firstfield Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Media contact

Email: 
Phone: +41 44 553 05 71

Investor contact

To contact a member of the investor relations team, click on the "Contact us" button below.

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  21. World Health Organization. Malaria fact sheet. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria [Accessed November 2022].
  22. Jacob ST, et al. Ebola virus disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020;6:13.
  23. CDC. Cost of the ebola epidemic. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/cost-of-ebola.html [Accessed November 2022].