U.S. government or BARDA official announcements

Moderna Secures $176 Million from U.S. Government for H5N1 Bird Flu Vaccine Development, Trials Start in 2025

Jul 2, 2024, 01:11 PM

Moderna has secured $176 million in funding from the U.S. government to accelerate the development of an mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine. The funding is provided through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority's (BARDA) Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle Consortium. This initiative aims to address the looming threat of bird flu, particularly the H5N1 virus, which has caused a multi-state outbreak in dairy cows and infections in three dairy workers since March. The late-stage trials for the vaccine are expected to start in 2025. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has stated that the risk of bird flu remains low and vaccination is not currently recommended for any segment of the population. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that pasteurization inactivates milk tainted with H5N1.