United States has cancelled a contract with Moderna Inc. to develop a vaccine against highly-pathogenic avian influenza.
Moderna is famous for rapidly developing a vaccine against COVID-19.
The $766 million contract, first awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services last July and renewed in January before the Trump administration took office, was voided.
Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel said the company would “explore alternative paths forward for the program.“
The avian flu vaccine in development uses mRNA technology, which was first brought to the market in 2020 against the Covid-19 virus. It is currently in testing with 300 adults.
"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,” Bancel said.
The poultry and livestock industries have pondered using vaccination as an alternative to euthanizing tens of millions of birds after infections broke out in flocks. So far that has been rejected because it would probably result in the loss of export markets.
That's because vaccinated birds cannot be distinguished from infected birds.
While chickens and turkeys have been sacrificed to stop the virus, the dairy industry has not culled herds after a cow or milk tests positive for the virus.
