US signs $25 million deal with Moderna Technology to fight Ebola

Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston were awarded $13.5 million over three years to design, manufacture and test mRNA vaccines for Ebola and other deadly pathogens in partnership with Moderna.

According to reports, the project covers the development of the shots through phase 1 clinical trials and UTMB may receive an additional $11.1 million to study alternative ways to administer the vaccines.

The contract is part of a broader push by the US to protect military personnel using technology that enabled rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines in the early days of the pandemic.

In an official statement, UTMB said that the high mortality rate and potential use of these viruses as agents of bioterrorism remain a risk that necessitates the urgent development of a vaccine.

Bloomberg first reported the details of the US government contract in October.

Funding for the UTMB-Moderna project will come from the Department of Defense and the Offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, both of which have strategic investments in technology that can enhance US preparedness against biological threats. This work will be done at UTMB’s Sealy Institute of Vaccine Sciences.

The scientists will focus on a family of pathogens that includes Ebola, Sudan and Marburg, as well as the Lassa virus, all of which top the list of vaccine priorities for the US government.

The viruses cause sporadic outbreaks around the world – most recently in Uganda – and typically have high mortality rates.

Currently, there is no vaccine approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for Sudan virus, Marburg or Lassa fever. There is only one vaccine in the US that is licensed to protect against Ebola.

(with inputs from Bloomberg)