In response to the growing threat of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. government has awarded a $176 million contract to Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) to accelerate the development of its bird flu vaccine.
What Happened: Moderna revealed on Tuesday that it had received significant funding from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Reuters reported. The funds will be utilized to finalize the late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza.
The contract also includes additional measures to prepare and expedite a response to future public health threats. This action follows the first reported outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy cattle in March, which has since spread to over 130 ...