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Moderna said on Monday that its experimental combination vaccines against COVID-19 and the flu produced a higher immune response than existing, standalone vaccines in a late-stage trial.
The combo shot could become the company’s third product on the market, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May approved Moderna’s mRNA-based respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for people 60 and older.
It could also help Moderna offset declining demand for COVID-19 vaccines.
“Combination vaccines have the potential to reduce the burden of respiratory viruses on health systems and pharmacies, as well as offer people more convenient vaccination options that could improve compliance and provide stronger protection from seasonal illnesses,” said Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel in a statement. “Moderna is the only company with a positive Phase 3 flu and COVID combination vaccine.”
Moderna’s experimental mRNA-1083 is made of up the company’s flu vaccine candidate and its next-gen COVID-19 shot, Spikevax.
The combo vaccine is being tested in an ongoing phase 3 trial involving 8,000 people 50 and older.
In half the group, the shot was compared with patients receiving Moderna’s Spikevax and GSK’s flu shot Fluarix. In the other half, the shot was compared with patients receiving Spikevax and Sanofi’s Fluzone HD, a high-dose flu shot for older people.
In both groups, mRNA-1083 produced a “statistically significantly higher” immune responses against three strains of the flu (H1N1, H3N2, and B/Victoria) and COVID-19. The shot was also found to be safe, with most common side effects being injection site pain, fatigue, myalgia and headaches.
Pfizer and Novovax are also developing their own combo vaccines.
Additionally, Moderna is testing a combo shot that would protect from COVID, RSV and the flu.