All articles tagged with #mrna
A phase 3 trial of a personalised mRNA vaccine (Intismeran) given with Keytruda after melanoma surgery extended disease-free time in over 1,000 high-risk patients. While the interim results are promising, they have not yet been peer-reviewed and regulatory approval is still required before NHS rollout.
Merck and Moderna reported that a personalized neoantigen mRNA vaccine, intismeran, added to Merck's Keytruda in adjuvant melanoma slowed recurrence and metastasis in a Phase 3 trial, signaling a potential new class of cancer immunotherapies, though detailed data have yet to be released.
FDA-approved Moderna’s mFlusiva, an mRNA flu vaccine, for adults 50–64 (full approval) and 65+ (accelerated approval) after trials showed about 27% higher effectiveness than the standard flu shot; the vaccine could be updated quickly to address circulating strains. It’s expected to be available this fall, though insurance coverage remains unclear. Side effects may be stronger than with traditional vaccines but are generally mild. Health experts say to get whichever flu vaccine is available to protect yourself early in the season.
The FDA has approved Moderna’s mFlusiva as the United States' first mRNA flu vaccine, giving adults 50+ access with full approval for ages 50–64 and accelerated approval for 65+, following a trial that showed it outperformed a standard-dose flu vaccine and suggesting mRNA could speed vaccine updates to evolving flu strains and potentially improve seasonal vaccines.
Sen. Ron Johnson released Fauci’s 2021 texts showing he privately warned that cytokine storms after the second COVID vaccine dose could theoretically be linked to miscarriages in the first trimester. Johnson says the private concerns contrast with public messaging and calls it the “tip of the iceberg” as he expands a probe into Fauci’s old government phone. The piece notes a 2021 NEJM study cited by Johnson about miscarriages among pregnancies exposed to mRNA vaccines (104 of 827), arguing the numbers may be skewed; Fauci has invoked the Fifth Amendment in related proceedings, and no comment from his team is reported yet.
FDA approves mFLUSIVA, the United States’ first mRNA influenza vaccine, marking a milestone for the platform after a year of funding reversals; unlike egg-based vaccines, it can be updated in two to three months and deployed closer to flu season, hinting at future breakthroughs across vaccines and therapies, though real-world uptake will depend on access, cost, and regulatory guidance.
FDA-approved Moderna’s mFlusiva for adults 50+ after a large study in adults aged 50-64 showed it’s about 26.6% more effective than traditional flu vaccines; approval for 65+ is provisional pending more data. Experts say it could better match circulating strains and save lives, but public concerns about mRNA and misinformation may hinder uptake, particularly on Long Island where flu vaccination rates hover around 48%.
FDA approved a new mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine for adults 50+ on Aug. 5, 2026, illustrating mRNA’s promise to accelerate drug development beyond vaccines; but two hurdles remain: the short cellular half-life of about one day and impurities like double-stranded RNA that can provoke immune responses. Ongoing work aims to reduce immune activation and extend durability through pseudouridine-like RNA modifications, cleaner production, and optimized sequences, enabling non-vaccine uses such as CRISPR-Cas9 mRNA therapies (e.g., liver-targeted treatments for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis) and paving the way for a new generation of safer, longer-lasting mRNA therapeutics in coming years.
The FDA approved Moderna’s first mRNA-based flu vaccine (mFLUSIVA) for adults 50 and older—the first of its kind—with a study of over 40,000 participants showing about 27% higher effectiveness than standard seasonal flu shots during the 2024–25 season. Moderna expects a fall rollout, with the CDC’s advisory committee expected to weigh in on a formal immunization recommendation after unanimously supporting the vaccine’s benefits for older adults.
FDA approved Moderna’s mFlusiva, the first mRNA flu vaccine, for adults 50–65 and 65+, with a condition for another trial in the older cohort; in late-stage trials it was roughly 27% more effective than a standard flu shot. The vaccine’s mRNA platform allows faster strain updates (2–3 months vs about 6 months for traditional vaccines), but its rollout faces insurance and policy hurdles since ACIP guidance is blocked, though it could be prescribed without it.
An African-led effort to develop an mRNA–based HIV vaccine argues the platform can rapidly iterate toward a vaccine that teaches the immune system to neutralize diverse HIV strains. Yet the field faces a funding and political setback after the US government cut HIV-related support, risking halted trials and stalled collaboration. While early data and monkeys show promise and lower-dose safety improvements are being explored, sustained funding and political backing remain crucial to translating scientific momentum into a working vaccine.
Moderna co-founder Kenneth Chien remains bullish on mRNA’s potential, predicting an mRNA cancer vaccine could reshape oncology and lift the entire field, even as past Moderna–AstraZeneca deals failed to deliver the planned drugs.
An FDA advisory panel is evaluating Moderna’s experimental mRNA-based influenza vaccine, a first-of-its-kind flu shot, with safety and efficacy data under review to determine if it could join future vaccination programs.
A Moderna-developed personalized mRNA vaccine added to surgery and pembrolizumab reduced five-year melanoma recurrence by about half, with roughly 70% cancer-free in the vaccine group versus 49% in the standard group and a nearly 60% reduction in metastasis risk; the vaccine targets 34 neoantigens, is given post-surgery alongside immunotherapy in up to nine doses, and was well tolerated, though results from a larger phase 3 trial are needed to confirm efficacy and potential paradigm shift.
Amid an Andes virus–related outbreak on a cruise ship, UK-backed researchers are racing to develop the first hantavirus vaccine. A thermally stable mRNA candidate from the University of Bath and EnsiliTech shows promise in animals, but it’s not yet tested against Andes, and no vaccines exist for hantaviruses yet.