FDA Approves Moderna's Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine, mNexspike

Moderna has announced FDA approval for its new COVID-19 vaccine, mNexspike (mRNA-1283). This next-generation shot targets a specific part of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and requires only one-fifth the dose of the original Spikevax vaccine. It is also potentially refrigerator-stable, making it easier to store, distribute, and administer in various settings.

"The FDA approval of our third product, mNEXSPIKE, adds an important new tool to help protect people at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19," said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. "COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat, with more than 47,000 Americans dying from the virus last year alone. We appreciate the FDA's timely review and thank the entire Moderna team for their hard work and continued commitment to public health."

The FDA's approval of mNEXSPIKE is based on results from a randomized, observer-blind, active-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05815498), which enrolled approximately 11,400 participants aged 12 years and older.

The primary efficacy objective in this study was to demonstrate the non-inferior vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 starting 14 days after mNEXSPIKE compared to that after the comparator vaccine, mRNA-1273 (Spikevax®), Moderna's original COVID-19 vaccine. Participants received either a 10 μg dose of mRNA-1283 or a 50 μg dose of mRNA-1273. mRNA-1283 showed a 9.3% higher relative vaccine efficacy (rVE) compared to mRNA-1273 in individuals aged 12 years and older, and in a descriptive sub-group analysis, a 13.5% higher rVE in adults aged 65 and older.

In the Phase 3 trial, mRNA-1283 was found to have a similar safety profile to mRNA-1273, with fewer local reactions and comparable systemic reactions. The most commonly solicited side effects were injection site pain, fatigue, headache and myalgia.

Moderna expects to have mNEXSPIKE available for eligible populations in the U.S. for the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season, alongside Spikevax and mRESVIA®, the Company's approved respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine.

mRNA-1283 is under review with regulators in multiple markets around the world.