Novavax postpones agreement to supply COVID-19 vaccines to European Union due to lack of raw materials

Novavax delays the signing of a contract for the supply of its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union (EU), said to Reuters a community official involved in the process, since the US biotech company warned it was struggling to source raw materials.

Extending negotiations could further complicate the EU’s vaccination plans, as the bloc hoped to sign a deal earlier this year for at least 100 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, with an option for an additional 100 million.

The EU official, who asked not to be named because the talks are confidential, said the company postponed signing an agreement for weeks, citing legal issues in meetings with bloc’s vaccine negotiators. “They are slowing down the process of finalizing the contract,” he said. Reuters the official, who was present at the meetings.

Informally, a Novavax executive said the slowness in negotiations was justified because the company was having production issues, the community manager said.

A spokeswoman for Novavax said in an email that talks with the EU on a supply deal are continuing, but declined to give further details. As he indicated, the company is facing “the shortage of certain raw material supplies linked to the pandemic”.

The European Commission, which coordinates discussions with vaccine manufacturers, declined to comment on the situation.

Faced with supply issues from other COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, including AstraZeneca, the EU vaccination campaign is far behind the US and UK, a situation that has become more critical as a third wave of infections hits the block.

Novavax plans to produce key components of its two-dose vaccines for the EU at several of its factories, he said, including one in the Czech Republic, It produces antigens, the inactivated organisms that trigger an immune response.

By Francesco Guarascio and Carl O’Donnell (Reuters)

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