Early data on Moderna's mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine are underwhelming, according to the Verge.
The company launched the trial of its candidate vaccine, called mRNA-1010, in July. It targets the seasonal influenza A lineages H1N1 and H3N2 and the influenza B lineages Yamagata and Victoria, and the phase 1/2 trial was to enroll 180 people to study the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine. Moderna has now reported initial results from the trial that indicates that the candidate vaccine does lead to antibody generation, but not, according to the Verge, any more than other flu vaccines.
Reuters notes that following the success of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, developers have rushed to develop similar vaccines for other diseases, like the flu. The Verge adds that these results suggest that mRNA vaccines might not be as easy to develop and implement as hoped. At In the Pipeline, Derek Lowe writes that more work is needed to determine whether the shorter turnaround time for its development or other aspects of the approach give mRNA vaccines an advantage.
The early-stage study is ongoing, and Moderna is pursuing a mid-stage study of 500 individuals to compare mRNA-1010 to an already approved vaccine, Reuters adds.