HHS cancels US$ 760M Moderna bird flu vaccine deals

USA – Moderna has hit a major roadblock in its efforts to develop a pandemic flu vaccine. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled government contracts worth over US$ 760 million, including a recent US$ 590 million agreement awarded in January.

This move halts further work on Moderna’s mRNA-based bird flu vaccines, despite early clinical results looking promising and bird flu continuing to spread among animals in the U.S.

The canceled funding came from BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and included a previous US$ 176 million deal for an H5N1 flu vaccine.

These contracts were part of a long-term partnership between Moderna and the U.S. government.

However, under the new leadership of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his skepticism regarding mRNA vaccine safety, the agency has terminated the program.

Adding to the concern, reports have surfaced that some U.S. health officials are asking researchers to remove the term “mRNA” from grant proposals, hinting at a deeper shift in federal support for this vaccine technology.

Despite the funding loss, Moderna recently shared encouraging results from an early-stage clinical trial.

The company’s pandemic flu vaccine candidate, mRNA-1018, which targets bird flu strains H5N8 and H7N9, showed strong and lasting immune responses in healthy adults after two doses.

Moderna had expected to move this vaccine into late-stage development with the help of HHS, but now says it will explore other ways to continue the program.

Moderna’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, emphasized the importance of mRNA technology in fighting future health threats.

However, an HHS spokesperson told Reuters that the project didn’t meet federal scientific or safety standards.

The decision has sparked backlash among health experts. Ashish Jha, the former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, called the move “beyond absurd,” warning that rejecting mRNA tools could put Americans at risk if the bird flu spreads among people.

Amanda Jezek from the Infectious Diseases Society of America added that stopping federal support for pandemic vaccine development weakens the country’s ability to respond to future outbreaks.

The H5N1 bird flu virus is still active in birds, poultry, cattle, and other animals. Since the latest outbreak began, there have been 70 human cases and one death in the U.S.

Experts now worry that cutting support for vaccine research could hinder efforts to prevent a potential future health crisis.