NOVAVAX, INC. 
The $1.2 billion deal between Novavax and Sanofi is a breath of fresh air for the biotech company, which has been struggling to establish its COVID-19 vaccine in a market dominated by Pfizer and Moderna.
Novavax, on the other hand, has proposed a different approach with a protein-based vaccine. Unlike mRNA vaccines, which use a piece of genetic code to induce cells to produce a virus-specific protein and trigger an immune response, Novavax's vaccine uses viral proteins directly, with an adjuvant to boost the immune response. This technology, although promising, was less well known to the general public and arrived on the market later, which limited its ability to establish itself alongside the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
The agreement with Sanofi, a major pharmaceutical company, is therefore seen as an opportunity for Novavax. Sanofi brings its expertise in large-scale marketing and distribution, which could enable Novavax's vaccine to reach a wider audience and raise its profile.
The collaboration comes at a time when demand for COVID-19 vaccines has begun to wane, including from market leaders Pfizer and Moderna. Market saturation, vaccine hesitancy and the evolution of the pandemic have all contributed to this drop in demand.
Bloomberg TV provided by MT Newswires
