The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $590 million to Moderna to continue developing a vaccine against bird flu, the company announced Friday. This award is part of Moderna’s ongoing study on an mRNA-based “pandemic influenza vaccine” targeting H5 and H7 avian influenza viruses.
The vaccine development effort follows concerns about the unpredictable nature of bird flu variants, particularly the H5N1 virus, which has caused dozens of human cases in the US over several months. The HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stated that accelerating vaccine development is crucial to keep Americans safe.
Moderna plans to advance its research into a phase 3 trial after receiving positive results in earlier phases and will present its findings at an upcoming scientific conference. The award will support late-stage development and licensure of the pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccines, as well as expansion of clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza.
The US already has a vaccine against H5 viruses in its Strategic National Stockpile, but it is made with older technology. The Biden administration announced this month that it would invest $300 million in monitoring bird flu and preparing for potential spread. While the risk from bird flu to the general public is currently low, continued collaboration among stakeholders is emphasized to protect human health, animal health, and food safety.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/17/health/bird-flu-vaccine-funding-hhs-moderna/index.html