((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto)) by Julie Steenhuysen
The U.S. government has awarded Moderna MRNA.O $176 million to advance development of its bird flu vaccine, the company said Tuesday, as concerns grow over a multistate outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy cows and the infection of three dairy workers since March.
The funds awarded by the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will be used to complete the development and testing of a prepandemic mRNA vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, the company said in a statement.
The agreement also provides additional options to prepare for and accelerate response to future public health threats.
In March, U.S. officials reported the first outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy cows, which has since infected more than 130 herds in 12 states.
Scientists fear that exposure to the virus on poultry and dairy farms could increase the risk of the virus mutating and giving it the ability to spread easily among humans, triggering a pandemic.
Last year, Moderna launched a safety and immunogenicity study of its avian influenza vaccine, called mRNA-1018, in healthy adults aged 18 and older. This study included both the H5 subtype of avian influenza currently circulating in dairy cattle and the H7 subtype of avian influenza.
Results from the study are expected this year and will be used to inform late-stage development plans, the company said.
Moderna’s vaccine uses mRNA, or messenger RNA, the technology in its COVID-19 vaccine.
“mRNA vaccine technology offers advantages in terms of efficacy, speed of development and production, scalability and reliability in combating infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said in a statement.
Making conventional flu vaccines from cells or eggs can take four to six months.
U.S. officials said they were transferring bulk vaccine from CSL Seqirus CSL.AX , which closely matches the current virus, into finished vaccines that could provide 4.8 million doses if needed.
These doses could be used to vaccinate farm workers and others who might be exposed to the virus (). For the general public, U.S. and international health officials say the risk of bird flu remains low.
