Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Moderna Gets More Money From Government
The Trump administration is going to pump another $472 million into expanding Moderna鈥檚 clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of its coronavirus vaccine candidate. What happened: Moderna announced Sunday that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, is pouring the additional dollars the day before the phase three trial of the vaccine candidate is slated to start. (Roubein, 7/26)
The U.S.-based drug maker said the additional funding will support its late-stage clinical development including the expanded Phase 3 study of Moderna鈥檚 vaccine candidate. In April, Moderna had received $483 million from the U.S. federal agency that funds disease-fighting technology, when the experimental vaccine was in an early-stage trial conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. (7/26)
In related news 鈥
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that the administration is 鈥渉opeful鈥 it can announce new therapies to treat the coronavirus 鈥渋n the coming days.鈥 Meadows told ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week鈥 that the White House has been 鈥渨orking around the clock,鈥澛爓ith a focus聽on COVID-19 therapeutics, vaccines and mitigation therapies.聽鈥淭he president has been very clear 鈥 whatever amount of money and whatever amount of time needs to be invested, we鈥檙e doing that,鈥 the White House chief of staff said. (Coleman, 7/26)