Novavax to expand vaccine-making plants worldwide

ROCKVILLE, Md. Novavax has plans to copy its new, small-scale vaccine-making plant and putting those copies in developing countries to fight influenza, with help from its new partner GE Healthcare, a division of General Electric, according to the Gazette.

The best way to control the deadly bird influenza virus that experts fear could threaten human populations may be a series of small-scale, efficient vaccine plants in developing countries, according to James M. Robinson, vice president at Novavax.

Novavax is on schedule to open a pilot-demonstration plant in a few weeks, making vaccines with its patented virus-like particle technology. Unlike conventional vaccine production using chicken eggs, Novavax’s method does not use a live virus and all manufacturing materials that touch the vaccine are disposable. The pilot plant can be easily adaptable to making pandemic flu vaccine, seasonal flu vaccine and other vaccines in its pipeline, Robinson said.