Coronavirus vaccine race: Novavax gets $1.6 billion in US funding

The US government has awarded Novavax Inc $1.6 billion to cover testing and manufacturing of a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus in the United States, with the aim of delivering 100 million doses by January.

The award announced by the US Department of Health and Human Services is the biggest yet from "Operation Warp Speed," the White House initiative aimed at accelerating access to vaccines and treatments to fight Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

Shares in Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Novavax rose 29% to $102 in morning trading.

"What this Warp Speed award does is it pays for production of 100 million doses, which would be