Moderna Shares Jump on New US Cancer Vaccine Partnership
Moderna shares rose 9% after reports of a public-private partnership with the NIH to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines starting in December.
Shares of Moderna rose 9% on Friday following reports of a new public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines. Modeled after the COVID-19 vaccine effort, the initiative involves the National Institutes of Health, its nonprofit arm, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, researchers, advocacy groups, and patients.
Stacey Adam, a senior clinical officer at the NIH foundation, expects the program to launch in December. The announcement also triggered gains for other pharmaceutical stocks, including Pfizer, BioNTech, and Merck. The United States initiative follows a similar program launched by the United Kingdom in 2024 known as the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.
Moderna is positioned as a leader in mRNA cancer treatments. The company recently reported positive results for a melanoma treatment developed in collaboration with Merck.
