What happened
The coronavirus might not pose the threat it once was, and Novavax (NVAX -0.95%) can be considered a laggard in the Great COVID-19 Vaccine Race, but the stock certainly has plenty of believers. This was in evidence on Monday, as the vaccine developer's share price booked a 2% gain, thanks to not one but two new regulatory submittals.
So what
The more important of these two filings was with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Novavax's money product of the moment, its coronavirus vaccine Nuvaxovid, won emergency use authorization (EUA) from the American regulator last month. That EUA was granted for the initial two-shot regimen of the jab; Monday's submission was for a booster in adults aged 18 and older.
Novavax was also busy with the paperwork across the Pacific Ocean. The company also announced that day that it had filed for an expanded EUA from Taiwan's FDA to cover adolescents aged 12 through 17. Winning such authorization wouldn't be a first for Novavax; the shot is already authorized for use within that demographic elsewhere in the region, specifically Thailand, Australia, India, and Japan. Further abroad, it is authorized for that age group in the 27-country European Union.
In June, Taiwan's FDA bestowed its authorization for Nuvaxovid to be administered to adults in the island nation.
Now what
For any vaccine, coronavirus or otherwise, one key goal is to receive authorization -- or, if possible, full approval -- in as many jurisdictions as possible. Novavax is doing a fine job getting its jab greenlighted throughout the world and in populous countries/unions to boot. Yet the great growth story of COVID vaccines is largely over, hence the market's rather muted reaction to the two otherwise encouraging news items from the company.
