Novavax executives could get big payday even if vaccine fails

One of the leading U.S. firms developing a coronavirus vaccine, Novavax Inc <NVAX.O>, has awarded executives stock options that could pay out tens of millions of dollars even if its efforts fail.

Novavax CEO Stanley Erck and three other executives would earn the options, worth $101 million at Tuesday’s closing stock price, if the company’s vaccine candidate enters a mid-stage clinical trial - regardless of its eventual success, according to a company filing.