AI Designed a Universal Coronavirus Vaccine for Viruses Not Yet in Existence
University of Cambridge researchers have developed what they describe as a “fundamentally new” type of vaccine designed exclusively using artificial intelligence (AI), marking the first time a vaccine’s active antigen was created entirely through computational modeling and tested in humans. The vaccine candidate, pEVAC-PS, was developed by DIOSynVax Ltd., a biotechnology company founded out of […]
DHHS Cancels $500 Million in Funding for mRNA Vaccine Development
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced on Aug. 5, 2025 that DHHS is canceling $500 million in vaccine development projects, specifically those using mRNA technology. The decision affects 22 projects, including contracts with Emory University and Tiba Biotech. Proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone, and others […]
Government Cancels $700 Million in Funding for Moderna’s Bird Flu Biologic
The U.S. government has cancelled a contract worth over $700 million awarded to Moderna, Inc. for late-stage development of an mRNA bird flu biologic for humans, as well as the right to purchase the shots. Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) issued the […]
U.S. Government Expands Mpox Vaccine Stockpile With $144 Million Order for Freeze-Dried Jynneos
The U.S. government is bolstering its emergency vaccine reserves with a $144 million purchase of a freeze-dried version of the Jynneos vaccine, designed to protect against both mpox (also known as monkeypox) and smallpox. Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic A/S, the vaccine’s manufacturer, announced it will begin production and supply in 2026.1 2 Freeze-Dried Vaccine […]
FDA Approves Freeze-Dried Smallpox/Mpox Vaccine
On Mar. 31, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the freeze-dried formulation of Bavarian Nordic A/S’s Jynneos vaccine for smallpox and mpox (formerly monkey pox) in adults 18 years of age and older. The liquid-frozen formulation of the vaccine was approved by the FDA on Sept. 24, 2019, but that version requires […]
DHHS Secretary RFK, Jr. and USDA Secretary Both Say “No” to Bird Flu Vaccine for Chickens
Opinion | Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr announced on Mar. 4, 2025 that the avian influenza (“bird flu”) vaccine should not be given to chickens in the U.S. based on emerging evidence that injecting poultry with avian influenza virus (AIV) vaccine could lead to mutations accelerating evolution of the animal […]