Form 8-K - Current report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 5, 2023

NOVAVAX, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Delaware

0-26770

22-2816046

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

700 Quince Orchard Road

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

(240) 268-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 per share		NVAX		The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On November 12, 2021, Sothinathan Sinnathurai filed a purported securities class action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (the “Maryland Court”) against Novavax, Inc. (the “Company”) and certain members of the Company’s senior management, captioned Sothinathan Sinnathurai v. Novavax, Inc., et al., No. 8:21-cv-02910-TDC (the “Sinnathurai Action”). On January 26, 2022, the Maryland Court entered an order designating David Truong, Nuggehalli Balmukund Nandkumar, and Jeffrey Gabbert as co-lead plaintiffs in the Sinnathurai Action. The co-lead plaintiffs filed a consolidated amended complaint on March 11, 2022, alleging that the defendants made certain purportedly false and misleading statements concerning the Company’s ability to manufacture prototype vaccine on a commercial scale and to secure the prototype vaccine’s regulatory approval. The amended complaint defines the purported class as those stockholders who purchased the Company’s securities between February 24, 2021 and October 19, 2021. On April 25, 2022, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint. On December 12, 2022, the Maryland Court issued a ruling granting in part and denying in part defendants’ motion to dismiss. The Maryland Court dismissed all claims against two individual defendants and claims based on certain public statements challenged in the consolidated amended complaint. The Maryland Court denied the motion to dismiss as to the remaining claims and defendants, and directed the Company and other remaining defendants to answer within fourteen days. On December 27, 2022, the Company filed its answer and affirmative defenses. On March 16, 2023, the plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification and to appoint class representatives and counsel. The Company filed its opposition to the plaintiffs’ motion on September 22, 2023, and the plaintiffs filed a reply on November 13, 2023.

On December 4, 2023, the parties agreed to a binding settlement in principle (the “Proposed Settlement”) to fully resolve the surviving claims in the Sinnathurai Action. Under the Proposed Settlement’s terms, the Company agreed to pay $47 million into a settlement fund, which the Company expects will be funded by the Company’s directors and officers’ liability insurance and paid to members of a putative settlement class. The Proposed Settlement will include customary releases by the parties and a disclaimer of liability by the Company and by the Company’s senior management named as defendants. The Proposed Settlement is contingent upon approval by the Maryland Court.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	NOVAVAX, INC.


Date: December 5, 2023	By:	/s/ James P. Kelly
	Name:	James P. Kelly
	Title:	Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Cover	Dec. 05, 2023
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 05, 2023
Entity File Number	0-26770
Entity Registrant Name	NOVAVAX, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001000694
Entity Tax Identification Number	22-2816046
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Address, Address Line One	700 Quince Orchard Road
Entity Address, City or Town	Gaithersburg
Entity Address, State or Province	MD
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	20878
City Area Code	240
Local Phone Number	268-2000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	NVAX
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false