US Nears Deal To Fund Moderna mRNA Bird Flu Shot Trial, Report Says
Topline
The U.S. government is closing in on a deal to fund a late-stage trial for an mRNA pandemic bird flu vaccine made by Moderna, the Financial Times reported Thursday, as the country battles an H5N1 outbreak in cattle and poultry farms.
Key Facts
Citing unnamed people close to the discussion, the Financial Times reported federal funding worth “several tens of millions of dollars” will come from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) likely sometime next month.
The purported deal with the federal agency also includes a commitment to purchase a stockpile of doses if the trials prove successful.
The government has also reportedly held talks with Pfizer—which also developed a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine like Moderna—for a jab targeting H5 flu variants.
Moderna has previously said it was trialing H5 flu vaccines, and according to Financial Times, interim data for this trial is expected to be released soon.