Moderna and BioNTech announced yesterday promising results from their phase 1/2 trial of an mRNA vaccine designed to target both COVID-19 and flu.
The trial involved testing various combination vaccine candidates on healthy adults aged 18 to 64.
These candidates were compared against a licensed flu vaccine and Moderna and BioNTech’s earlier bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, with all vaccines administered during the same visit.
The leading formulations of the combination vaccines induced strong immune responses against influenza A, influenza B, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
The safety profile of the combination vaccines was found to be similar to that of the standalone COVID-19 vaccine.
Encouraged by these results, the companies announced their intention to advance the leading formulations to phase 3 trials in the coming months.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast-track designation for this new vaccine.
Annaliesa Anderson, PhD, Pfizer’s senior vice president and head of vaccine development, commented on the findings in a statement, noting that the early trial results will soon be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
“This vaccine has the potential to mitigate the impact of two respiratory diseases with a single injection and could simplify vaccination practices for providers, patients, and healthcare systems globally,” she said.
Earlier this month, Moderna also reported promising results from an early clinical trial of its mRNA combination vaccine targeting flu and COVID-19.
