Latest news with #CSLSeqirus
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development
Health and Human Services Secretary and longtime vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that the department is canceling nearly $500 million in contracts for new vaccine development. In a video shared to his X profile, Kennedy said the agency is winding down its mRNA vaccine development under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority - and will be canceling 22 development projects. 'We reviewed the science, listened to the experts and acted,' he said, claiming that 'the data shows these vaccines fail to protect against upper respiratory infections like COVID and [the] flu.' The department will now be shifting the funding allocated to these 22 projects 'toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.' Instead, the Department of Health and Human Services will focus on 'the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don't collapse when viruses mutate.' 'Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them,' Kennedy concluded. 'That's why we're moving beyond the limitations of mRNA and investing in better solutions.' Health and Human Services officials say the canceled contracts include an award for Moderna for an mRNA vaccine to combat the H5N1 bird flu, as well as existing contracts with Emory University and Tiba Biotech. The department will also alter its mRNA-related contracts with CSL Seqirus and AstraZenaca, and is rejecting or canceling multiple contract bids with Pfizer and CSL Sequirus. A spokesperson for Moderna, however, told The Hill the company is unsure what award the department was referring to, saying they are not involved in developing an mRNA vaccine for the bird flu. The company also noted to Axios that its pandemic flu contract was canceled in May. Indeed, Kennedy's announcement on Tuesday marked his latest move targeting vaccine manufacturers and calling into question the jabs' effectiveness. He has previously pulled back recommendations around the COVID-19 vaccines and fired the panel that makes vaccine recommendations. But infectious disease experts have argued that the mRNA technology used in vaccines is safe, and they credit its development during the first Trump administration with slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Unlike traditional vaccines - which have required growing pieces of viruses - mRNA vaccines instruct the body to produce a fraction of the virus, which then sets off the body's immune response. The vaccines can be made within months and quickly altered as a virus changes, and without mRNA jabs, future pandemics may be harder to stop, experts have warned. Rick Bright, a flu expert who was ousted as chief of BARDA during the first Trump administration, for example, said the Department of Health and Human Services is 'undermining our ability to rapidly counter future biological threats. 'We're weakening our frontline defense against fast-moving pathogens - a huge strategic failure that will be measured in lives lost during times of crisis,' he told The New York Times. He was called out by infectious disease experts for his decision to cut the funding Chris Meekins, assistant secretary for pandemic preparedness in the first Trump administration also claimed that ending BARDA's mRNA work created a 'national security vulnerability. 'These tools serve as a deterrent to prevent other nations from using certain biological agents,' he claimed online. 'The speed of the technology to create new biodefense capabilities is a national security asset.' Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations, added that he does not 'think I´ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business.' Yet Kennedy insisted that work is underway on an alternative as he spoke at a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska Tuesday evening alongside the state's two Republican senators. He said a 'universal vaccine' that mimics 'natural immunity' is the administration's focus. 'It could be effective - we believe it´s going to be effective - against not only coronaviruses, but also flu,' he said. The Department of Health and Human Services also noted that 'other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not impacted by this announcement' as scientists around the world explore its use for cancer immunotherapies. Billionaire tech entrepreneur Larry Ellison even praised the technology for its potential to treat cancer at the White House earlier this year.
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Vaccines and antibodies up for debate at CDC advisory panel meeting
June 25 (Reuters) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee is set to meet for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the entire panel and named eight new members, half of whom have advocated against vaccines. The meeting, scheduled for June 25-26, will review existing data and vote on RSV and influenza vaccines, along with thimerosal, a preservative used in vials of medicines and vaccines. Below are some of the companies that make the vaccines that will be discussed at the meeting, according to the final agenda published on the CDC's website. Sanofi ( opens new tab Fluzone - The quadrivalent influenza vaccine was approved in 2013 for patients aged six months and older. Flublok - Approved in 2016 for adults aged 18 and older, replacing the trivalent version licensed in 2013 by offering protection against four influenza strains. Sanofi reported U.S. sales of $1.66 billion for influenza vaccines in 2024. AstraZeneca/MedImmune [RIC:RIC: FluMist - FDA approved AstraZeneca and partner MedImmune's nasal spray influenza vaccine in September 2024 for self-administration by adults up to 49 years of age, or by a parent/caregiver to individuals aged 2-17 years. The vaccine generated sales of about $258 million in 2024. CSL Seqirus, part of Australia-based biotech firm CSL Ltd ( opens new tab FlucelVax - The FDA approved the cell-based influenza vaccine in October 2021 for people aged six months and older. Afluria - The egg-based influenza vaccine was approved in October 2018 for people aged six months and older. Fluad - The adjuvanted influenza vaccine was approved by the FDA in February 2020 for people aged six months and older. The three vaccines combined brought in sales of $1.72 billion in 2024 RSV VACCINES Sanofi/AstraZeneca (AZN.L), opens new tab Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) - The FDA approved the antibody, branded as Beyfortus, in 2023 to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants. Sanofi reported U.S. sales of $1.24 billion for the vaccine in 2024. Merck ((MRK.N), opens new tab) Clesrovimab (Enflonsia) - The company gained approval for its RSV-preventing antibody, branded as Enflonsia, in June 2025. The antibody is designed for infants up to one-year olds during their first RSV season, with shipments planned for the 2025-2026 season. GSK (GSK.L), opens new tab Priorix - Approved by the FDA for the prevention of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) in individuals aged one year and older. It can be administered in two doses or as a second shot following a prior MMR vaccination. GSK reported global sales of $439.96 million for the vaccine in 2024. MODERNA (MRNA.O), opens new tab mNEXSPIKE - The next-generation COVID-19 vaccine was approved for aged 65 and above in May 2025. Spikevax, Moderna's first COVID-19 vaccine, received its initial FDA approval in January 2022. Spikevax brought in total sales of $1.8 billion in 2024. Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab/BioNTech ( opens new tab Comirnaty - The COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the FDA in August 2021 for people aged 16 years and older. It generated sales of $5.35 billion in 2024. Novavax (NVAX.O), opens new tab Nuvaxovid - The protein-based COVID-19 vaccine was approved by FDA in May 2025 for people aged 65 and older, following nearly five years of regulatory delays and financial uncertainty. The vaccine, Novavax's sole commercial product, generated $682 million in total revenue for 2024, which includes licensing and royalties.
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Australia's sole Q Fever vaccine provider confirms it is prepared to combat the country's rising case numbers
Australia's sole Q Fever vaccine provider says the serious bacterial infection vaccine is no longer in short supply, quelling fears the farming industry would not be able to combat rising case numbers across the country. Concerns arose after Cattle Australia called for an urgent $3 million cash injection to bring a new Q Fever vaccine to market on April 29. CSL Seqirus — manufacturer of the Q-VAX vaccine in Melbourne — confirmed with the Countryman current supply levels would meet current demand. The zoonotic disease is transmitted predominantly from goats, sheep and cattle and is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. It is released through faeces, urine, milk and birth products from infected animals but can spread through the air and dust. Most people in Australia are unaware of the disease and its potential consequences, including flu-like symptoms, pneumonia and hepatitis. Victoria experienced five notified outbreaks between August and December last year, with a total of 77 notified cases — more than double the State's average annual incident of the past five years. This year alone, six cases have been reported to WA Health, while 16 cases were reported in 2024 — spiking in the back end of the year. The yearly average is eight in Western Australia. A CSL Seqirus spokesperson said 'normal supply' for the Q-VAX vaccine resumed in February, following a period of limited supply where stock was managed centrally to ensure access for people at the highest risk of infection. 'Approximately 30 to 40,000 Australians are vaccinated against Q fever annually and this is typically driven by workplace vaccinations, public health campaigns and outbreaks of disease,' they said. 'We have been working closely with local Public Health Units in regions with outbreaks to ensure access to vaccination. 'There is always the potential for small increases in demand due to outbreaks and our annual supply planning takes this into account.' They said a new 'world-class' manufacturing facility near Melbourne Airport is due for completion in 2026 which will manufacture vaccines and antivenoms for Australia and the world. There are more than 80 clinics offering Q fever vaccinations across the State.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
EU shores up pandemic defences with 478m flu vaccine deal
The European Union has snapped up advanced manufacturing capacity for at least 478 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine, surging ahead in the race to prepare for a possible bird flu outbreak in humans. According to data from the health analytics firm Airfinity, the EU now has signed agreements with seven manufacturers to reserve vaccines – including a new deal unveiled last week with CSL Seqirus for a further 27m doses. Although governments including Canada and the UK have reserved more doses per person, the EU has the largest and most diverse supply chain for a possible influenza pandemic. As reported in the Lancet last week, the recent emergence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infections in dairy cows and humans in the US has 'raised alarms regarding the potential for a pandemic'. 'Over 995 dairy cow herds and at least 70 humans have been affected, including cases of severe disease and the first reported H5N1-related death in the U.S'. This emerging threat has caused health authorities across the globe to quietly start planning for a possible spillover to humans, with a clear focus on vaccine supply. The shots the EU now has on standby do not constitute a stockpile. Rather than amassing a store of ready-to-use vaccines which protect against known strains of bird flu, the bloc has bet big on reserving access to outbreak-specific shots. These would be produced after a pandemic was declared and the exact strain of the virus was known – giving the best chance of the jabs being efficacious in humans. Richard Bennett, lead analyst at Airfinity, said the EU was also hedging its bets by doing deals with seven different firms. 'This diversification reduces the risk of supply disruption if one manufacturer encounters production issues, and prevents monopolising capacity from any single supplier,' he said. Other countries have also set about reserving access to as-yet-unmade vaccines. Germany has secured production capacity or 400 million doses, under a framework that would also distribute manufactured jabs to the wider European Union. Vaccine resilience and flexibility Meanwhile the UK and Canada have reserved 100m and 80m doses respectively. Although this equates to more shots per person than the EU has access to (1.5 per capita for Britain, two for Canada and one for the EU), the supply chains are less diverse. Canada is reliant on GSK, while the UK has a single deal with CSL Seqirus, according to Airfinity. Unlike the other countries included in the analysis, the US does not have enough doses to cover its entire population. Mr Bennet said this is unsurprising, 'given previous [US] demand for pandemic vaccines'. During the H1N1 'swine flu' outbreak in 2009, national vaccine coverage was just 27 per cent, though this jumped to 69.5 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic. Still, the superpower has 250m doses of pandemic flu shots reserved with CSL Seqirus and Sanofi, plus a stockpile of 20m shots against known strains of bird flu already circulating. 'Most countries depend on a handful of manufacturers for pandemic flu vaccines. Seven companies produce over 85 per of global supply, leaving national stockpiles vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, production delays, or supply chain shocks,' the Airfinity analysis warned. 'The EU has reduced reliance on single suppliers by securing contracts with multiple manufacturers, creating a more resilient and flexible vaccine procurement strategy during emergencies.' Production delays and vaccine nationalism The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the threat of vaccine nationalism, production delays and export restrictions. India's export bans, for instance, stalled the rollout of shots from Covax, which sought to buy immunisations for developing countries. The US also imposed limits on the export of vaccines and the critical equipment and materials needed to make them, while the EU threatened to block the export of AstraZeneca shots made for the UK government in the Netherlands. Ray Longstaff, director for Pandemic and Outbreak Preparedness and Response at CSL Seqirus, said the company has designed its manufacturing network and contracts to ensure minimum disruption in the face of these sorts of threats. 'In our agreements, we have supplied safeguards and comprehensive information about how we will not only meet the timelines … but also the kind of preparedness measures that we put in place to protect supply chains,' he said. 'It's something that we take very seriously.' The company – which has manufacturing sites in the UK, US and Australia – is one of the world's largest producers of seasonal flu shots. It also has a bird flu vaccine programme, plus a separate initiative to create pandemic-specific vaccines. If the WHO declared a pandemic, all manufacturing would switch to solely respond to the given outbreak. The pharmaceutical firm's latest deal reserves 27.5m pandemic flu doses for 17 participating EU member states, which would be manufactured at the CSL Seqirus site in Liverpool using an egg-based production method. The company now has deals to supply pandemic shots to more than 30 governments worldwide, including the UK. Mr Longstaff said he could not discuss specifics of the contracts – which include reservation fees that are invested in 'maintaining readiness and preparedness' – and downplayed the ramifications of potential tensions between governments in a pandemic scenario. He also stressed that the company would support lower income countries through the WHO's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) framework. Agreed after the 2009 swine flu outbreak, this requires companies to donate 10 per cent of their pandemic influenza shots, in real time. This principle has also been incorporated into the new WHO pandemic treaty, set to be approved at the World Health Assembly in Geneva later this month, in an attempt to ensure that wealthy countries are not the only ones who have access to medical countermeasures in the event of an outbreak.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU shores up pandemic defences with 478m flu vaccine deal
The European Union has snapped up advanced manufacturing capacity for at least 478 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine, surging ahead in the race to prepare for a possible bird flu outbreak in humans. According to data from the health analytics firm Airfinity, the EU now has signed agreements with seven manufacturers to reserve vaccines – including a new deal unveiled last week with CSL Seqirus for a further 27m doses. Although governments including Canada and the UK have reserved more doses per person, the EU has the largest and most diverse supply chain for a possible influenza pandemic. As reported in the Lancet last week, the recent emergence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infections in dairy cows and humans in the US has 'raised alarms regarding the potential for a pandemic'. 'Over 995 dairy cow herds and at least 70 humans have been affected, including cases of severe disease and the first reported H5N1-related death in the U.S'. This emerging threat has caused health authorities across the globe to quietly start planning for a possible spillover to humans, with a clear focus on vaccine supply. The shots the EU now has on standby do not constitute a stockpile. Rather than amassing a store of ready-to-use vaccines which protect against known strains of bird flu, the bloc has bet big on reserving access to outbreak-specific shots. These would be produced after a pandemic was declared and the exact strain of the virus was known – giving the best chance of the jabs being efficacious in humans. Richard Bennett, lead analyst at Airfinity, said the EU was also hedging its bets by doing deals with seven different firms. 'This diversification reduces the risk of supply disruption if one manufacturer encounters production issues, and prevents monopolising capacity from any single supplier,' he said. Other countries have also set about reserving access to as-yet-unmade vaccines. Germany has secured production capacity or 400 million doses, under a framework that would also distribute manufactured jabs to the wider European Union. Vaccine resilience and flexibility Meanwhile the UK and Canada have reserved 100m and 80m doses respectively. Although this equates to more shots per person than the EU has access to (1.5 per capita for Britain, two for Canada and one for the EU), the supply chains are less diverse. Canada is reliant on GSK, while the UK has a single deal with CSL Seqirus, according to Airfinity. Unlike the other countries included in the analysis, the US does not have enough doses to cover its entire population. Mr Bennet said this is unsurprising, 'given previous [US] demand for pandemic vaccines'. During the H1N1 'swine flu' outbreak in 2009, national vaccine coverage was just 27 per cent, though this jumped to 69.5 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic. Still, the superpower has 250m doses of pandemic flu shots reserved with CSL Seqirus and Sanofi, plus a stockpile of 20m shots against known strains of bird flu already circulating. 'Most countries depend on a handful of manufacturers for pandemic flu vaccines. Seven companies produce over 85 per of global supply, leaving national stockpiles vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, production delays, or supply chain shocks,' the Airfinity analysis warned. 'The EU has reduced reliance on single suppliers by securing contracts with multiple manufacturers, creating a more resilient and flexible vaccine procurement strategy during emergencies.' Production delays and vaccine nationalism The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the threat of vaccine nationalism, production delays and export restrictions. India's export bans, for instance, stalled the rollout of shots from Covax, which sought to buy immunisations for developing countries. The US also imposed limits on the export of vaccines and the critical equipment and materials needed to make them, while the EU threatened to block the export of AstraZeneca shots made for the UK government in the Netherlands. Ray Longstaff, director for Pandemic and Outbreak Preparedness and Response at CSL Seqirus, said the company has designed its manufacturing network and contracts to ensure minimum disruption in the face of these sorts of threats. 'In our agreements, we have supplied safeguards and comprehensive information about how we will not only meet the timelines … but also the kind of preparedness measures that we put in place to protect supply chains,' he said. 'It's something that we take very seriously.' CSL Seqirus Liverpool's refrigerated warehouse, where vaccines for flu – including H5N1 – are stored before shipment - Simon Townsley/The Telegraph The company – which has manufacturing sites in the UK, US and Australia – is one of the world's largest producers of seasonal flu shots. It also has a bird flu vaccine programme, plus a separate initiative to create pandemic-specific vaccines. If the WHO declared a pandemic, all manufacturing would switch to solely respond to the given outbreak. The pharmaceutical firm's latest deal reserves 27.5m pandemic flu doses for 17 participating EU member states, which would be manufactured at the CSL Seqirus site in Liverpool using an egg-based production method. The company now has deals to supply pandemic shots to more than 30 governments worldwide, including the UK. Mr Longstaff said he could not discuss specifics of the contracts – which include reservation fees that are invested in 'maintaining readiness and preparedness' – and downplayed the ramifications of potential tensions between governments in a pandemic scenario. He also stressed that the company would support lower income countries through the WHO's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) framework. Agreed after the 2009 swine flu outbreak, this requires companies to donate 10 per cent of their pandemic influenza shots, in real time. This principle has also been incorporated into the new WHO pandemic treaty, set to be approved at the World Health Assembly in Geneva later this month, in an attempt to ensure that wealthy countries are not the only ones who have access to medical countermeasures in the event of an outbreak. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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