International
Moderna reduces production of COVID-19 vaccine
September 13 |
Drugmaker Moderna announced Wednesday that it is scaling back manufacturing of its COVID-19 vaccine, an updated version of which was approved this week by U.S. regulators.
Moderna said the decision is driven by lower post-pandemic demand that will help the company reach its target of 75% to 80% gross revenue growth sooner.
Moderna is in talks with its partners that fill vials and syringes with its messenger RNA-based COVID vaccines globally to reduce production, Stephen Hoge, president of the Massachusetts-based company, said in an interview.
The reduction, Hoge added, will help Moderna adapt to the endemic phase of the disease, which had led to a drop in demand for COVID vaccines as buyers have reduced orders for injections.
Moderna predicted in August that U.S. demand for the vaccine would reach between 50 million and 100 million doses in the fall season. About 153.8 million COVID injections were administered in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“For the last two years, we’ve been in pandemic mode producing 1 billion doses a year,” Hoge said. “We’ve been waiting for the time when the pandemic is officially behind us and we need to restructure that manufacturing footprint.”
Following clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, Moderna said it would begin shipping doses of the COVID vaccine throughout the United States.
The company has agreements to supply its vaccine to other countries, including Britain, Canada and Japan, but does not yet have an agreement with the European Union, according to Hoge, who also said COVID was the focus of Moderna’s manufacturing agreement with China.
Hoge added that while Moderna is urgently working to reduce COVID manufacturing, talks with third-party manufacturers, which will help produce the upcoming respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza vaccines that investors hope will begin to replace Moderna’s dwindling COVID revenues, could extend into next year.
“These are relationships we will need for decades to come,” Hoge said.
Moderna also announced Wednesday that it had completed the regulatory filing for its RSV vaccine and that its flu vaccine had generated a stronger immune response against all four A and B strains of the virus compared with traditional flu vaccines in a late-stage trial.
The efficacy of Moderna’s flu vaccine was demonstrated in all age groups, including older patients, and proved to be safe and tolerable, according to the company.
Moderna also said it had found its vaccine to be equal or superior to Sanofi’s high-dose flu vaccine in a separate initial comparative study.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
International
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local authorities reported on Saturday.
“So far, there are 23 confirmed deaths and 11 injured, including minors,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo in a video message. He added that the injured are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and assign responsibility where appropriate,” Durazo said.
The explosion occurred at a Waldo’s store in downtown Hermosillo. Local authorities confirmed that the incident was not an attack nor related to any violent act against civilians.
Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X, offering sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International3 days agoHurricane Melissa kills over 30, leaves thousands displaced in the Caribbean
-
International2 days agoFloods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
-
International5 days agoMelissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
-
International4 days agoHurricane Melissa leaves Jamaican residents homeless as recovery efforts begin
-
International3 days agoU.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
-
International5 days agoArgentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
-
International4 days agoUS Deputy Secretary criticizes Mexico’s call to end Cuba trade embargo at UN
-
International4 days agoTrump orders immediate U.S. nuclear testing, ending 30-year moratorium
-
International4 days agoVenezuela warns citizens who call for invasion risk losing nationality
-
International3 days agoTrump sets historic low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizes white South Africans
-
International4 days agoMexico advances continental shelf claims at UN Commission in New York
-
International4 days agoBrazilian president defends coordinated anti-drug operations after deadly Rio raid
-
International3 days agoUNICEF: Over 700,000 children affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
-
International2 days agoFBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
-
International14 hours agoAt least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
-
International3 days agoPope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
-
International3 days agoU.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
-
International4 days agoSimeón Pérez Marroquín, ‘El Viejo,’ detained for role in Miguel Uribe Turbay assassination plot
-
International14 hours agoU.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers