Dynavax President and COO Sells 114,000 Shares on Sanofi Acquisition News
Key Points
114,000 shares were exercised and sold on Jan. 15, 2026, for a transaction value of approximately ~$1.8 million, at a weighted average price of around $15.64 per share.
The entire trade was executed via direct holdings through an option exercise and immediate sale, with no indirect entities involved.
At the end of 2025, Dynavax announced it had agreed to be acquired by French drugmaker Sanofi.
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David Novack, President & COO of Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:DVAX), exercised 114,000 stock options and immediately sold the resulting shares for a transaction value of approximately $1.8 million, according to the SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares sold (direct) | 114,000 |
| Transaction value | $1.8 million |
| Post-transaction shares (direct) | 63,344 |
| Post-transaction value (direct ownership) | ~$989,433.28 |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($15.64); post-transaction value based on Jan. 15, 2026 market close ($15.62).
Key questions
- How significant was the reduction in David Novack's stake following this transaction?
The sale brings his position down to 63,344 shares, which equates to 0.05% of the company's outstanding shares as of Jan. 24, 2026. - What was the derivative context for this transaction?
This event involved the exercise of 114,000 stock options, with all resulting shares immediately sold in the open market, reflecting a full conversion from options to common stock without retention of new shares. - How does this transaction compare to Novack's historical trading activity?
The size of this exercise and sale substantially exceeded Novack's median sell transaction (30,000 shares in the recent period). - Were any indirect entities or trusts involved in this transaction?
All shares were held and transacted directly by Novack; there were no sales or transfers attributed to indirect ownership entities such as family trusts or LLCs.
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Market capitalization | $1.82 |
| Revenue (TTM) | $330.51 million |
| Net income (TTM) | -$43.40 million |
| 1-year price change | 25.16% |
* 1-year price change calculated as of Jan. 15, 2026.
Company snapshot
- Markets and commercializes HEPLISAV-B, a hepatitis B vaccine, and manufactures the CpG 1018 adjuvant used in its vaccine portfolio.
- Generates revenue through vaccine sales and collaborations with pharmaceutical partners.
- Serves adult patients and healthcare providers in the United States and Europe.
Dynavax Technologies Corporation is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative vaccines. Its core product, HEPLISAV-B, is a hepatitis B vaccine for prevention of infection in adults, leveraging proprietary adjuvant technology (CpG 1018). Strategic collaborations with Valneva Scotland Limited, Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., and Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp. support the company's focus on vaccine development.
What this transaction means for investors
Novack’s 114,000-share transaction was what’s known as an exercise and sell, in which a company insider exercises their right to buy shares at a predetermined price (in this case, 20,000 shares at $6.80 and 94,000 shares at $10.47) and immediately sells them on the open market. With Dynavax shares trading around $15.64 on the day of the transaction, Novack earned about $1.8 million, minus the cost of the shares he bought. In the end, he pocketed about $680,000.
Dynavax shares spiked to begin 2026 on news that it had agreed to be acquired by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi. Under the terms of the deal, Sanofi would buy Dynavax for $15.50 a share, valuing the company at around $2.2 billion, about a 40% premium to where shares traded at the end of December.
The deal will give Sanofi access to Dynavax’s two-dose hepatitis B vaccine as well as a promising experimental Shingles shot. Sanofi’s push into adult vaccines is notable given the dynamic regulatory sentiment surrounding vaccines in the United States. As many of the changes involve childhood immunization, these additional adult-related vaccines may help the French drugmaker diversify its pharmaceutical portfolio.
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Sarah Sidlow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Merck. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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