The U.S. government on Tuesday awarded $176 million to drugmaker Moderna to speed up work on a bird-flu vaccine. The move reflects mounting fears that avian influenza, specifically the H5N1 strain that has infected more than 100 cattle herds, could spill over into humans.
The U.S. government on Tuesday awarded $176 million to drugmaker Moderna to speed up work on a bird-flu vaccine.
The move reflects mounting fears that avian influenza, specifically the H5N1 strain that has infected more than 100 cattle herds, could spill over into humans. Only three persons in the U.S. have gotten the virus but officials are on guard against another health crisis.
The government is working with other drugmakers, including CSL Seqirus and Sanofi, to develop and stockpile bird-flu vaccines.
However, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s decision to fund the Moderna effort shows faith in the messenger-RNA company’s ability to make vaccines quickly and in sufficient numbers to respond to an outbreak.
“mRNA vaccine technology offers advantages in efficacy, speed of development, and production scalability and reliability in addressing infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.
