Moderna said on Thursday it is developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against COVID-19 with its experimental flu shot, Reuters reports.
The company said it hopes to eventually add vaccines it is working on for respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory diseases as an annual shot.
"We believe this is a very large opportunity that is ahead of us, if we could bring to market a high efficacy pan-respiratory annual booster," Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said during a presentation to update investors on its drugs in development.
"We believe Moderna could be first to market in this important new opportunity," he added.
Moderna already had several influenza vaccine candidates in development. The new vaccine combines the experimental flu shot that is furthest along with its COVID-19 vaccine.
The company has also already started clinical trials for an RSV vaccine in older adults, according to Reuters.
Moderna on Thursday also provided updates on its ongoing mid-stage trial testing its authorized COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 6 months to 11 years old. It is testing a 50-microgram dose of the shot in the pediatric trial involving 4,000 children.
The company said dose selection studies for different age groups such as 2 years to less than 6 years, and 6 months to below 2 years old, were still underway.
Moderna's vaccine, which received an emergency use authorization for two 100-microgram doses for people aged 18 and older in the United States in December, is currently under an FDA review for use in adolescents.
The UK's health regulator recently approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children aged 12 to 17 years. This came after the European Medicines Agency recommended authorizing Moderna’s vaccine for that age group.