The US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has committed up to $483m to support the development of the Moderna mRNA vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, against Covid-19.
MRNA-1273 encodes for a prefusion stabilised form of the Spike (S) protein. It was selected by Moderna in collaboration with investigators from the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Under the agreement, BARDA will fund the development of mRNA-1273 to FDA licensure. Currently, the vaccine candidate is undergoing a Phase I clinical trial conducted by the NIH in the US.