SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Vaccine(Recombinant)(Novavax, Inc.)

Sanofi on Friday reported a sharp decline in quarterly vaccine sales, a development the French company partially tied to lower immunization rates in the U.S.In its latest earnings report, Sanofi said that its overall vaccine sales fell by 7.8% to 3.4 billion, or $3.9 billion, between July and September. The pullback was largely driven by a slowdown in influenza shots, which, combined with the revenue Sanofi derives from Novavaxs COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid, decreased by 16.8%, to 1.5 billion. Sanofis COVID-19 and influenza vaccine sales are down a total of 14% this year, the company said.In prepared remarks and on an earnings call with analysts, Sanofi executives claimed the lower numbers were expected. CEO Paul Hudson cited price competition in Germany and a slowdown in the U.S.It's early. We're still in October. But I think it's fair that with the first few weeks that we observed a little bit of vaccination rate on the soft side when it comes to flu vaccination, particularly in the U.S., Thomas Triomphe, Sanofis head of vaccines R&D, told analysts.Vaccines have faced heightened commercial pressure in the U.S. since the confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy overhauled a key committee guiding U.S. vaccine policy, replacing themwith a handpicked groupmore aligned with his skeptical views on immunizations.The Food and Drug Administration has also set in place a stricter framework for COVID-19 shots, leading to narrower clearances than in years past.Over that time, vaccination rates for routine childhood immunizations have declined, even as a measles outbreak has taken hold. Rates of flu shots have also been in a prolonged downswing in the U.S., according to a report earlier this year from the nonprofit group PLOS Global Health.Sanofi, one of the worlds preeminent vaccine makers, continues to invest in the space, however. The company, for instance, has multiple combination shots for influenza and other viruses in development.Sanofi has a proud legacy of flu vaccines, and we remain committed on bringing innovation to strengthen our leadership in flu and to provide better protection for patients, Hudson said Friday.Despite the slowdown in vaccine sales, Sanofis overall revenue rose by 2.3%, boosted in part by revenue for its blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug Dupixent. Sales of Dupixent surged by 26.2% to 4.2 billion, a quarterly record that beat consensus estimates, wrote Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger.Sanofis Beyfortus, a preventive drug for respiratory syncytial virus in infants, also bested Wall Street projections. Sales jumped 14.6% to 739 million, or about $860 million, between April and June.Newer drug launches which include the hemophilia medication Altuviiio and Ayvakit, a rare disease therapy acquired in Sanofis buyout of Blueprint Medicines climbed 57.1%, reaching 1 billion for the quarter. '

Novavax is handing over its long-term Gaithersburg lease to AstraZeneca with a start date of January 2026. Novavax is slimming down again by striking a deal to transfer the lease to its Maryland corporate headquarters to AstraZeneca in exchange for nearly $60 million.The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based vaccine maker plans to let go of the facility in an effort to better focus on R&D and partnerships as part of its corporate strategy, the company said in an Oct. 22 press release. In essence, the company aims to maintain "necessary capabilities" in only the “leanest and most cost-effective manner." Novavax will remain headquartered in Gaithersburg, moving to a new address that’s just down the road, an Oct. 17 SEC filing shows.According to the filing, AstraZeneca will officially take over Novavax’s multi-year lease on Jan. 5, 2026, for $59.8 million. The lease expires in December of 2036.The deal includes the lease reassignment and the sale of certain related assets, according to the filing.Novavax expects to record a non-cash impairment charge of between $96 million and $98 million during this year’s third quarter, but it estimates cost savings of $230 million over the 11-year period related to the lease and operating costs. "This consolidation of our facilities in Maryland results in upfront cash and significant cash savings related to our lease liabilities and future operating costs while enabling Novavax to better focus on pipeline and technology investments,” CEO John C. Jacobs explained in the release. With the deal, AZ is slated to add about 171,000 square feet of space in Gaithersburg. The British drugmaker already has a significant footprint in the city, operating a R&D campus that houses more than 3,000 staffers. In addition, AZ recently expanded its force in Maryland with the addition of a $300 million cell therapy site in Frederick.As for Novavax, the deal is the latest in its consolidation efforts. Last year saw a $200 million sale of a 150,000-square-foot recombinant protein facility in Bohumil, Czech Republic, to Novo Nordisk, a deal that included support buildings and a transfer of the plant's workforce.Besides its consolidation efforts, Novavax's product-related revenue stems from its non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid and related partnerships with Sanofi and Takeda.Sanofi stepped in to help with Novavax’s COVID vaccine efforts last year, taking a 4.9% equity position in the vaccine maker and striking a $1.2 billion collaboration. The vaccine’s U.S. approval in May triggered a $175 million payment from Sanofi, with another payout of $25 million recorded earlier this month after Novavax transferred over Nuvaxovid’s European marketing authorization. Takeda, meanwhile, has signed on to market the drug in Japan.Novavax’s partnerships are key to keeping the company afloat as sales continue to struggle. After generating $984 million in 2023, the drugmaker logged $682 million in full-year 2024 sales and most recently reported $239 million during the second quarter of 2025, a 42% dip from the same period last year.