Moderna’s vaccine was 26.6 per cent more effective than an approved shot in the overall study population.Brian Snyder/Reuters
Moderna MRNA-Q said on Monday its experimental influenza vaccine was found to be 26.6 per cent more effective than a currently approved annual flu shot when tested in adults aged 50 years and older in a late-stage study.
Shares of the company were up nearly 5 per cent in premarket trading following the results.
Moderna has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots to make up for declining sales of its COVID vaccine and weaker-than-expected uptake of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.
Political concerns spurred by the appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. health secretary have also contributed to the nearly 35 per cent slump in the company’s shares this year.
Moderna’s vaccine, mRNA-1010, was 26.6 per cent more effective than GSK’s approved shot in the overall study population, which included 40,805 adults aged 50 years and older, Moderna said.
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The shot was shown to be 27.4 per cent more effective than GSK’s shot in adults 65 years and older – a group that is usually at highest risk to flu.
“The severity of this past flu season underscores the need for more effective vaccines,” CEO Stéphane Bancel said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits reached a 15-year high during the 2024-2025 season.
Moderna said its mRNA-based shot has the potential advantage to more precisely match circulating strains and support rapid response in a future influenza pandemic.
The shot had previously generated a stronger immune response against all four A and B strains of the influenza virus compared to traditional flu shots in a late-stage trial in 2023.
The biotech is also working on a flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate, but had withdrawn its application seeking approval for it in May to wait for efficacy data from the flu shot trial.
Moderna said it plans to engage with regulators on filing submissions for the flu vaccine candidate.
