HHS cancels Moderna's $590M bird flu vaccine award
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The Trump administration canceled a nearly $600 million award to Moderna to develop an mRNA vaccine for bird flu in humans, the company announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: It ends one of the remaining Biden-era efforts aimed at creating vaccines for pandemic preparedness. But the company said it would explore alternatives for further developing and manufacturing the shot.
Driving the news: Moderna reported positive early stage data on the mRNA vaccine, saying clinical testing in roughly 300 adults was found to be generally well-tolerated.
- Participants achieved 98% immunity within three weeks of the second dose of the vaccine, the company said.
- "While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis of the Phase 1/2 study of our H5 avian flu vaccine and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement.
- "These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats."
Details: The funds awarded in January from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority were aimed at creating a line of defense against H5N1 in people that matches the strains circulating in cows and birds.
- It followed another award to Moderna for bird flu vaccine development worth $176 million that the Biden administration granted in July 2024.
- Trump administration officials previously told the company it was reviewing all contacts from the prior administration.
