Dive Brief:

• Moderna said its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine succeeded in a Phase 3 study, offering increased effectiveness for adults.
• The vaccine, known as mRNA-1283, is designed to fight newer strains of coronavirus that have emerged since the development of Moderna’s original shot, Spikevax. Overall, the trial found the new version works at least as well as the old one, but its effects were even stronger in patients who were at least 18 years old, the company said Thursday.
• Executives will consult with regulators on next steps for the vaccine, Moderna said. Results from the Phase 3 trial, which included 11,400 people aged 12 and over, will be released at an upcoming medical conference.

Dive Insight:

The new vaccine is a critical part of Moderna’s growth strategy amid flagging sales for its original mega-successful COVID-19 shot.

As a standalone vaccine, the new product offers key advantages over the original. It’s designed to be refrigerator-stable, giving it a longer shelf life and making distribution and administration easier. The company had previously said the shot offered a higher immune response than its original vaccine.

It’s also part of a new experimental combination vaccine to fight both COVID-19 and influenza that recently posted positive study results. That product offers the potential for patients to just get one vaccination each fall at a time when many are already used to getting a flu shot.

Though the end of the pandemic has removed COVID-19 from the top of most people’s minds, the disease is here to stay and constantly evolving. Moderna and other vaccine makers are preparing to update their formulations after Food and Drug Administration advisers recently recommended that yet another family of coronavirus strains be addressed by the shots.

Moderna is also looking outside COVID for growth. The company is focused on the launch of a new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus and a cancer vaccine in advanced testing with partner Merck.