Moderna Doses Participants in Study of Two Influenza mRNA Vaccines

Moderna recently dosed the first patients in a Phase 1/2 study of its influenza mRNA vaccine candidates, mRNA-1020 and mRNA-1030. 

The randomized, observer-blind trial will evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a single dose of mRNA-1020 or mRNA-1030 in 560 healthy adults 18 years of age and older in the US.  

Each candidate contains eight mRNAs that target hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) at different doses. The candidates will also target strains recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent influenza, including seasonal influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, influenza B/ Yamagata, and B/Victoria.  

"We believe that by targeting both hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, we can achieve broader immunity and higher vaccine efficacy against circulating influenza strains than traditional influenza vaccines," Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said in the announcement.  

"We expect that our platform's flexibility in targeting multiple strains coupled with our ability to manufacture quickly will facilitate production of a vaccine that matches the predominant circulating influenza strain," Bancel continued.  

Influenza leads to 3–5 million severe flu cases and 290,000–650,000 flu-related respiratory deaths annually.  

All influenza A and B viruses carry HA and NA, two essential surface glycoproteins. Data suggests that NA will be a crucial vaccine target given its slower mutation rate and because anti-neuraminidase antibodies inhibit multiple stages of the virus life cycle and protect against infection.  

Targeting both viral proteins may limit the virus' ability to escape the host immune responses through mutations, leading to better protection, a Moderna spokesperson said.  

In July 2021, Moderna dosed the first patients in a Phase 1/2 study of its quadrivalent seasonal flu mRNA vaccine candidate, mRNA 1010. mRNA-1010 was the company's first flu vaccine candidate to enter clinical trials.  

Then in December, Moderna announced that mRNA-1010 successfully boosted hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay geometric mean titers against all strains 29 days after vaccination at all doses tested in both younger and older adults.