Moderna’s Bird Flu Vaccine Funding Nears Agreement
The United States government is making progress in securing funding for the late-stage study of Moderna’s mRNA bird flu vaccine. This development is significant, considering the growing outbreak among dairy cows.
According to a representative from Moderna, the company is currently in talks with the government regarding the advanced development of its vaccine candidate. While the investment has not been officially confirmed, insiders have hinted that government financing from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) may arrive as early as next month.
If the funding is provided, it would come with a guarantee to purchase dosages if the late-stage trials prove successful. However, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has yet to respond to inquiries about this matter.
Moderna’s experimental injection, mRNA-1018, aims to determine its effectiveness against various strains of the virus, including the circulating H5N1 type. The early to middle phase study of the vaccine has been completed, and data is expected to be available soon.
Since the second human case of bird flu was reported in the United States on April 1st, Moderna’s stock has surged by almost forty percent.
During Thursday’s premarket trading session, Moderna’s stock was valued at $151.25, indicating a three percent increase from the previous session.
While the United States currently has an adequate supply of immunizations against avian flu, there may be a need for a significant increase in stock if a pandemic or widespread illness were to occur. CSL Seqirus is responsible for developing the avian flu vaccine, which is manufactured by the US government at a rate of approximately 4.8 million doses per year. Additionally, discussions are underway with Pfizer and Moderna to explore the potential of developing an mRNA-based vaccine.
In late March, the virus was discovered in dairy cattle for the first time. Last week, the United States government confirmed another human infection, further emphasizing the importance of vaccine development.
In other news, a recent study found a link between heatwaves and an increase in preterm births.