Moderna plans joint flu and Covid vaccine by the end of 2023

Moderna estimates it could launch a joint vaccine against Covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus by the end of 2023, the pharmaceutical giant said on Monday, hoping this compound will encourage more people to get immunized.

“The best scenario would be in the fall [boreal] 2023,” Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said at a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

“I don’t think it can be in all countries, but it is possible to reach some countries next year,” said the director of the pharmaceutical company responsible for one of the two vaccines against Covid-19 that are based on messenger RNA technology.

Bancel indicated that the studies for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are in phase 3, the final phase of human trials, and the one for influenza should enter the third phase in the second quarter of this year.

“Our goal is to have a single annual booster shot so we don’t have problems with people who don’t want to have two or three shots in the winter and get it all in one shot,” he said.

Moderna’s vaccine is based on the pre-variant Covid-19 virus, and Bancel indicated the company is working on a specific compound against the omicron, which could be ready for testing in the coming weeks.

“We hope to be able to deliver data to regulators in March so we can determine next steps,” he said.

In addition to a specific vaccine against the omicron, which is quickly becoming the dominant variant worldwide, laboratories are also in the race to create a vaccine that works against all current and future mutations of Covid-19.

“There are some private sector partners that are getting into this,” said Richard Hatchett, executive director of the Coalition for Epidemic Innovation and Preparedness, an organization that funds vaccine research and development.

“That would be the Holy Grail, because we don’t want to always be chasing new variants as they emerge,” he added.