Pfizer has signed a deal worth up to $530m with US-based vaccine technology company Novavax.
This agreement will see Pfizer hand over $30m upfront for the non-exclusive rights to Novavax’s proprietary Matrix-M vaccine adjuvant, which is designed to boost and prolong the immune response when added to an injectable formulation.
Pfizer will be wholly responsible for the development and commercialisation of any vaccine products created using Matrix-M while Novavax will be responsible for the manufacturing and supply of the adjuvant to Pfizer.
The deal will also entitle Novavax to receive up to $500m in development and sales milestones for any products containing Matrix-M, as well as tiered, high single-digit royalties on vaccines that incorporate the adjuvant.
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This marks a positive step forward for Novavax, which is homing in on Matrix-M as a core element of its future growth strategy, the company’s CEO, John Jacobs, said at the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.
#NEWS: Novavax has entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with @pfizer for use of Novavax’s Matrix-M® adjuvant for up to two disease areas.
This new partnership shows our corporate strategy in action, and adds to the successful collaboration we have with Sanofi, among… pic.twitter.com/VPgZreKqjY
— Novavax (@Novavax) January 20, 2026