Moderna Receives Nearly $600 Million To Accelerate Development Of mRNA Bird Flu Vaccine

The U.S. government will provide approximately $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of “mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the funding.

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide approximately $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines and enhance mRNA platform capabilities so that the U.S. is better prepared to respond to other emerging infectious diseases,” HHS stated.

“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),” HHS continued.

“This funding allows Moderna to accelerate development of an H5N1 mRNA influenza vaccine that is well matched to strains currently circulating in cows and birds and expands the clinical data supporting the use of mRNA vaccines that may be needed if other influenza strains emerge with pandemic potential,” it added.

BREAKING: The U.S. government awards Moderna $590 million to advance the development of a bird flu vaccine. pic.twitter.com/jkCMuU5nZw

— The General (@GeneralMCNews) January 17, 2025

“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,” he added.

“The US Department of Health and Human Services will award $590 million to Moderna to continue developing a vaccine to protect against bird flu, the pharmaceutical company announced Friday.

In 2023, Moderna initiated a study on a ‘pandemic influenza vaccine’ to protect against… pic.twitter.com/m4geAjzUoj

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 17, 2025

Per HHS:

In 2023, BARDA began working with Moderna to help develop mRNA vaccine to prepare for potential public health emergencies (PHEs) caused by influenza viruses, such as avian influenza A(H5N1).

In addition, Moderna will design and test an H7N9 mRNA pandemic influenza vaccine in a phase 3 clinical study. If successful, this vaccine potentially could become the first licensed for H7N9.

Moderna also will design up to four additional novel pandemic influenza vaccines and test preliminary safety and immunogenicity (generating an immune system response) in phase 1 clinical studies. This work will create the necessary background data to enable accelerated development of an mRNA vaccine targeted to various influenza virus subtypes of pandemic potential. This approach takes advantage of the versatility of Moderna’s mRNA platform, leveraging an existing manufacturing platform capability to support product development across multiple health threats.

The RRPV is a 10-year, multi-purpose acquisition vehicle and consortium partnership designed to support advanced research and development of medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The consortium leverages BARDA’s authority to create flexible, strategic partnerships between government and industry that foster innovation and promote collaboration. BARDA also is providing funding to the RRPV for development of additional mRNA platform capacities.

US government grants Moderna $590 million to develop a bird flu vaccine.

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CNN reports:

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a broad term that refers to several types of influenza that normally infect birds. The H5N1 virus has raised concern among health officials because it has sickened dozens of people in the United States over the past several months; the first human death from a severe case of the virus was reported in Louisiana this month.

“The project will provide additional support for late-stage development and licensure of pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccines. The agreement will also support the expansion of clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza,” Moderna said in a statement Friday.

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The US does have vaccines against H5 viruses in its Strategic National Stockpile, but they are made with older technology.

Separately, the Biden administration announced this month that it would invest more than $300 million to help monitor bird flu and prepare for potential spread. That money would be put toward programs focused on hospital preparedness, increased testing and surveillance, and awareness around emerging pathogens.

Most of the recent H5N1 transmission has been among animals, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still considers the risk from bird flu to the general public to be low, with no evidence of human-to-human spread. But the Biden administration has emphasized the importance of continued collaboration among stakeholders to “protect human health, animal health, and food safety.”

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