AGC Biologics, a global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), announced it has expanded its partnership with Novavax, Inc. a late-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases. AGC Biologics is currently preparing to manufacture Matrix-M, the adjuvant component of Novavax’ coronavirus vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, from its facility in Copenhagen. AGC Biologics will now expand supply of Matrix-M adjuvant for the vaccine from its facility in Seattle to ensure supply for the United States.
NVX-CoV2373 is a stable, prefusion protein made using Novavax’ proprietary nanoparticle technology. AGC Biologics will optimize process development for scaled-up production of Matrix-M to enable Novavax’ ability to deliver significant worldwide supply in 2020 and 2021.
“We are extremely proud that Novavax has asked us to expand our production of its coronavirus vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, in Seattle,” says AGC Biologics’ CBO Mark Womack. “This enables us to further support Novavax’ need to move this vaccine forward with extraordinary urgency.”
“We are pleased to expand our partnership with AGC Biologics into the United States. They have established themselves as a critical partner in our supply chain of adjuvant for NVX-CoV2373, and we are grateful for their high level of commitment and flexibility in meeting the urgent demands of this project,” says Timothy J. Hahn, SVP, Process Technology at Novavax.
“We are very happy to have the opportunity to serve Novavax at another facility in our global network and to be able to do even more in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic,” says AGC Biologics’ CEO Patricio Massera.
AGC Biologics’ global network spans three continents, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy and Chiba, Japan. Their best in class services include development and manufacturing of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), viral vectors and genetically engineered cells.