Moderna "Developing Combined Vaccine for COVID-19 and Influenza"

Stock Price Soars 7.8% on Expectations of Profit Expansion

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna announced that it has started developing a combo booster vaccine that can simultaneously prevent COVID-19 and influenza.

According to AP News and others, Moderna CEO St?phane Bancel stated in a press release on the 9th (local time), "We are developing a vaccine that combines COVID-19 and influenza, requiring only one shot."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

CEO Bancel said, "Our company's top priority right now is to launch a 'pan-respiratory' booster vaccine that is administered annually."

This vaccine, called mRNA-1073, combines Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine with an influenza vaccine currently under development. Testing for the combo vaccine is expected to begin within the next 6 to 12 months.

CEO Bancel mentioned that mRNA-1073 will be upgraded annually, meaning the vaccine will be adjusted according to the types of influenza strains that appear each year.

He also expressed confidence that Moderna will be the first to introduce a COVID-19 and influenza combo vaccine.

Moderna also announced that it is preparing clinical trials for vaccines targeting cancer and rare diseases.

Moderna's stock price surged 7.8% at the close, boosted by the news of starting development of the COVID-19 and influenza combo vaccine. This is interpreted as reflecting expectations that introducing mRNA technology to vaccines for influenza and other diseases will improve profitability.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.