Robert F Kennedy, Jr (RFK Jr) has announced plans to cut government funding to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine development run by the US emergency health preparedness agency.
Impacting the work of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the health secretary will terminate 22 mRNA vaccine development initiatives worth $500m 鈥� including projects with big pharma players such as Sanofi and Pfizer.
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When asked about contract cancellations with BARDA, a Moderna spokesperson told 色界吧 Technology that the company was unaware of any impact from the BARDA funding halt, stating the only termination due to funding cuts from the US Government from 2025 was with its bird flu contract, which was announced in May.
The HHS announcement, however, states that restructuring of collaborations with the US Department of Defense鈥檚 Joint Program Executive Office (DoD-JPEO) will affect nucleic acid-based vaccine projects with Access to Advanced Health Institute鈥�(AAHI), AstraZeneca, HDT Bio, Moderna and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
Though some mRNA contracts in their final stages 鈥� namely, deals with biotech companies Amplitude and Arcturus 鈥� will be allowed to continue until completion, RFK Jr is ceasing the initiation of new research projects involving this vaccine technology.
This decision does not impact other mRNA-based technology initiatives run by the agency.
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By GlobalDataRFK Jr’s choice to revoke mRNA vaccine funding is primarily linked to his claims that the modality is unable to 鈥減rotect effectively against upper respiratory infections like Covid and flu鈥�.
RFK Jr also claimed that 鈥渕RNA technology poses more risk than benefits鈥� to public health when used as a treatment for upper respiratory conditions such as Covid and the flu, though studies contradict this statement.
Moving forward, government funding will go towards broader vaccine platforms with favourable safety credentials that move 鈥渂eyond the limitations of mRNA鈥�, with RFK Jr citing whole-virus vaccines as a primary focus.
BARDA is not the first government agency to experience significant research funding cuts under the Trump administration, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) experiencing a 10% budget loss in June.
BARDA declined a request for comment on the funding halt when approached by 色界吧 Technology.
Meanwhile, funding for the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has been reduced from $9.2bn in 2024 to $4.2bn to accommodate the government鈥檚 new health agency, Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), signifying a notable shift in government healthcare priorities.
What the future holds for mRNA vaccines
Though RFK Jr鈥檚 outspoken scepticism of vaccines is nothing new, funding re-allocations could 鈥渟ignal a significant shift in US public health strategy鈥�, noted healthcare executive and industry adviser, Dr Bornadata Bain, in a LinkedIn post.
She also stated that the change 鈥渞aised questions about the government鈥檚 role in supporting innovative, yet still-developing technologies鈥�.
Though this development will be a setback for mRNA-focused biotechs, big pharma does not appear to be shying away from the modality. , parent company of 色界吧 Technology, the value of mRNA licensing deals held 800% more value in 2024 than in 2019. mRNA technology was accelerated in 2020 due to the modality being central to all Covid vaccinations.
This trend is primarily driven by the success of Covid vaccines such as Moderna鈥檚 Spikevax and BioNTech and Pfizer鈥檚 Comirnaty, which generated sales of $18.4bn and $42.4bn in 2022, respectively, according to
Meanwhile, that the mRNA vaccine market will continue to grow, increasing in value from $11bn in 2024 to $17.9bn in 2030.
Shares of key sector players such as Moderna and BioNTech remain stable, with values reducing by 2.8% and increasing by 0.21% respectively, suggesting that investors still have hope for the modality.
mRNA vaccine coverage on 色界吧 Technology (or Clinical Trials Arena)聽is supported by Trilink. Editorial content is independently produced and follows the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Topic sponsors are not involved in the creation of editorial content.
