The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) canceled a contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine.
“Company has been notified that HHS will terminate Moderna’s award for late-stage development of pre-pandemic influenza vaccines,” a statement from Moderna reads.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon explained that the agency “concluded that continued investment in Moderna’s H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable.”
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that while the “termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis of the Phase 1/2 study of our H5 avian flu vaccine and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program.”
“These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats,” he said.
According to the company, the vaccine was “generally well-tolerated, with no dose-limiting tolerability concerns observed.” Adverse reactions were “Grade 1 or 2 and did not increase significantly with number of doses or between first and second doses.”
Moderna received a $176 million contract in 2024, as well as an expanded contract of $590 million.
“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,” former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement upon awarding the expanded contract. “Accelerating the development of new vaccines will allow us to stay ahead and ensure that Americans have the tools they need to stay safe.”
