The Novavax COVID‑19 Vaccine,
Adjuvanted (2024-2025 Formula) resources
designed for practices and pharmacies

COVID‑19 is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 uses its spike protein to bind to an ACE2 receptor on the airway epithelial cell and enters the cell.

This spike protein is the target of many vaccines, that work in different ways allowing the immune system to build a defense against the virus.

Novavax COVID‑19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted, is a protein subunit vaccine produced using established technology that has also been used in some seasonal influenza, HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines. Novavax COVID‑19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted presents the spike protein part of the virus to the immune system. The vaccine is composed of multiple trimers of recombinant spike proteins, stabilized in the prefusion conformation, and bound to a polysorbate 80 core, and are highly immunogenic.

The vaccine is also formulated with Matrix-M a proprietary adjuvant that includes saponin extracted from the bark of the Quillaja saponaria Molina tree.

Matrix-M enhances the magnitude of the immune response and promotes recruitment of various types of immune cells to draining lymph nodes, which may facilitate a more robust, long-lasting response.

Studies have shown that Novavax COVID‑19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted elicits an immune response, inducing both antibody-producing B-cells and multi-functional CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. When challenged with the real virus, the antibodies block SARS-CoV-2 binding to the ACE receptor. Multifunctional T-cells produce multiple cytokines and are associated with an enhanced immune response to clear the virus. And effector memory T-cells target infected cells.