Moderna said its combination flu and Covid shot met the goals of a pivotal late-stage trial, bringing the company one step closer to a more convenient jab that could help combat vaccine fatigue.
The trial compared people who got Moderna’s combination vaccine with those who got both a competitor’s flu shot and Moderna’s Covid vaccine during the same visit. Moderna’s combination shot generated higher immune responses against the influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 than licensed flu and Covid vaccines in adults 50 years and older, according to a statement Monday. Moderna said it will engage with regulators on the next steps for the program.
The shares rose as much as 2.1 percent before US markets opened.
Combination shots are a key part of Cambridge-based Moderna’s strategy for boosting vaccination rates. The company hopes to increase uptake by increasing convenience, appealing to both people who may be hesitant to get two shots at once and those who don’t return to get vaccinated multiple times. If they could get vaccinated against both flu and Covid in a single shot, they’re more likely to get both, Moderna executives say.
That could help Moderna close the gap with flu shot uptake. Nearly half of adults got a flu shot this past season, while only about 23 percent reported having received an updated Covid vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Moderna’s trial included two cohorts of approximately 4,000 adults each. The drugmaker’s flu and next-generation Covid shots have also posted positive trial results as single vaccines.
Moderna is also developing a shot that protects against both flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and a shot that protects against flu, Covid and RSV. Rival Pfizer is also developing a combination Covid and flu vaccine in collaboration with its partner, BioNTech, according to its website.