ZACKS·2026-01-21 16:11Core Insights - Novavax (NVAX) has entered a non-exclusive license agreement with Pfizer (PFE), allowing Pfizer to utilize its Matrix-M adjuvant technology for up to two disease areas, indicating the growing recognition of Matrix-M's versatility in vaccine development [1] Financial Highlights - Novavax will receive an upfront payment of $30 million from Pfizer and has the potential to earn up to $500 million in development and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered, high, mid-single-digit royalties on net sales of products incorporating Matrix-M [2][6] - Over the past year, NVAX's shares have decreased by 7.1%, while the industry has seen a rise of 15.1% [3] Matrix-M Adjuvant Technology - Matrix-M is a proprietary, saponin-based adjuvant technology from Novavax designed to enhance immune responses to vaccines, currently used in a globally approved vaccine and as a key component of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid/Covovax [4] - The University of Oxford has utilized Matrix-M to develop the R21 malaria vaccine, with commercialization rights licensed to the Serum Institute of India, and several other partners are evaluating Matrix-M for malaria vaccine development [7] Licensing Agreements - Novavax has a co-exclusive licensing agreement with Sanofi (SNY) that includes a non-exclusive license for Matrix-M in vaccine products, with the agreement amended in September 2025 to expand Sanofi's license for its pandemic influenza vaccine candidate program, potentially earning Novavax up to $210 million plus mid-single-digit royalties [8] - In 2023, Matrix-M technology was also licensed to the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute and SK Bioscience for preclinical vaccine research, supporting global vaccine discovery efforts [9]