South Korea's SK bioscience has extended its partnership with Novavax, a US-based biotechnology company specializing in next-generation vaccines, for the manufacturing and supply of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine targeting Omicron variants and in prefilled syringes.

SK bioscience and Novavax signed an agreement for the technology transfer of Novavax proprietary COVID-19 variant antigen materials and manufacturing drug substance targeting COVID-19 variants including Omicron BA.5 subvariant in response to the recent spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. 

In addition, SK Bioscience and Novavax have signed an agreement to manufacture and supply the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in prefilled syringe, already loaded with the vaccine for injection. The company will prepare the manufacturing process this year for commercial supply of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in prefilled syringe in 2023.  

Preclinical data on Omicron BA.5 will be available in the late summer or fall, with an Omicron-containing vaccine available by Q4 of this year.  

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is the fifth vaccine officially approved in S. Korea, and recently became the fourth vaccine to receive emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .