The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Moderna $590m to further accelerate the development of mRNA-based influzenza vaccines.
This comes at a time when the US is actively preparing for further pandemics, and one person has already died of bird flu.
With this funding, Moderna hopes to accelerate the commercialisation of its investigational pandemic influenza vaccine (mRNA-1018), which aims to protect the public from H5 and H7 varieties of avian flu.
The money will also go towards licensure of pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccines and late-stage clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza.
Funding was primarily raised by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the US HHS.
In 2023, Moderna began a Phase I/II study to generate safety and immunogenicity data for mRNA-1018 in healthy adults. Data from this trial will be presented at an undisclosed upcoming scientific meeting.
As the results of this trial were positive, Moderna is preparing to advance the vaccine candidate into Phase III.
“Avian flu variants have proven to be particularly unpredictable and dangerous to humans in the past. That is why this response has been a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and HHS,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“Accelerating the development of new vaccines will allow us to stay ahead and ensure that Americans have the tools they need to stay safe.”