Moderna says FDA to review its flu vaccine after reversing course

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Moderna says FDA to review its flu vaccine after reversing course

Megan Cerullo

Thu, February 19, 2026 at 2:06 AM GMT+9 2 min read

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reversed an earlier decision and said it will review drugmaker Moderna’s application for approval of a seasonal flu vaccine, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

The FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research notified Moderna that the agency will allow the application for the vaccine candidate, mRNA-100, to proceed to review, the drugmaker said. The FDA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

This marks a reversal for the FDA, which last week sent Moderna a so-called “refusal to file” letter rejecting the application. The dispute centered on a 40,000-person clinical trial that found Moderna’s new vaccine was more effective in adults aged 50 and older than one of the standard flu shots used today.

In the FDA’s rare “refusal to file” letter, vaccine director Dr. Vinay Prasad faulted the trial for not including another brand specifically recommended for people 65 and older.

In a high-priority, or “Type A,” meeting with the FDA, Moderna revised its application to seek full vaccine approval for adults aged 50 to 64 and accelerated approval for adults aged 65 and older. The drugmaker also agreed to conduct an additional study of the drug’s use by older adults.

The FDA is expected to make a decision by August, and Moderna said it aims to make the approved vaccine available to adults 50 and up for the 2026-27 flu season.

“We appreciate the FDA’s engagement in a constructive Type A meeting and its agreement to advance our application for review,” Moderna chief executive Stéphane Bancel said in a statement Wednesday. “Pending FDA approval, we look forward to making our flu vaccine available later this year so that America’s seniors have access to a new option to protect themselves against flu.”

The vaccine candidate is also under review in Europe, Canada and Australia.

Shares of Moderna rose $2.57, or 5.9%, to $46.50 in late morning trading.

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