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Moderna says flu shot more effective than rival GSK in late-stage study
- 6/30/2025
(Reuters) -Moderna said on Monday its influenza vaccine was found to be 26.6% more effective than an approved annual flu shot from GSK in adults aged 50 years and older in a late-stage study, sending its shares up more than 2%.
Newer mRNA shots are crucial for the U.S. vaccine maker due to declining sales of its COVID vaccine and weaker-than-expected uptake of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.
Analysts said the better efficacy of Moderna's flu shot is a necessary step to get its flu and COVID combination vaccine approved.
The biotech company, whose shares have lost 35% of their value so far this year, has been working on the vaccine, but withdrew its application seeking approval in May to wait for efficacy data from the flu shot trial.
Despite the "incrementally positive" data, the U.S. FDA may be tough on the company over safety and tolerability of the mRNA platform, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.
His views come against the backdrop of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr bringing in new members to the panel of vaccine advisers, several of whom are critics of mRNA vaccine technology.
"Any added jab could be 25%-50% accretive to the company's $1 billion-$2 billion COVID business due to the option of a flu combination in one jab," Yee said.
Moderna said it will engage with regulators on filing submissions for the flu vaccine candidate, mRNA-1010, which was tested in a study population that included 40,805 adults aged 50 years and older.
The shot was 27.4% more effective than GSK's shot in adults 65 years and older, a group that is usually at highest risk to flu. Moderna said.
"The severity of this past flu season underscores the need for more effective vaccines," CEO Stéphane Bancel said.
According to the CDC, seasonal flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits reached a 15-year high during the 2024-25 season.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo and Arun Koyyur)