In the final days of the Biden administration, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $590m to Moderna to expedite development of mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses and to better prepare to respond to other emerging infectious diseases.
HHS said the award was made through the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) Consortium with funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
CIDRAP reports that the funding will allow Moderna to speed the development of an H5N1 avian flu mRNA vaccine that matches the strains circulating in cows and birds and expand its clinical data that would support the use of mRNA vaccines, if needed, against other flu strains that have pandemic potential.
The pharma giant will develop and assess an mRNA vaccine against H7N9 avian influenza in a phase 3 clinical trial, and also design up to four other novel pandemic flu jabs and do the phase 1 clinical studies.
Results from early trials positive
In a statement on the same day, Moderna said it had launched a phase 1/2 study to gather safety and immunogenicity data for an investigational pandemic flu vaccine called mRNA-1018 in healthy adults aged 18 and older.
The study included vaccine candidates against H5 and H7 avian flu viruses. Based on positive preliminary data, the company said it was preparing for phase 3 studies and would share its phase 1/2 clinical trial findings at an upcoming scientific meeting.
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