Moderna

The drugmakers said a combination of the vaccine and Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda led to a statistically significant improvement in survival before the cancer returned in patients with advanced melanoma.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a prepared statement that the vaccine developer pioneered that technology and invested billions of dollars in creating it.

Advisers to the CDC voted unanimously to recommend Moderna's shots as an option for school-age kids and adolescents. This age group has been able to get shots shots made by Pfizer since last year.

The consensus has been that Pfizer and Moderna are most protective. But a study looking at 5 vaccines — including Russia's Sputnik V and two Chinese types — offers an unexpected finding.

The vaccine maker’s COVID-19 shots, which are now available in more than 70 countries, totaled $17.7 billion in sales last year, their first full year on the market.

Moderna said its current FDA-authorized 50-microgram booster shot increased antibody levels against omicron 37-fold compared to pre-booster levels.

The Moderna vaccine's ability to shield against infection drops sharply when tested on the omicron variant. But getting a booster pumps the protection back up again, new research suggests.

The FDA on Friday granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna booster shots. The boosters have already been available for people 65 and older and to high-risk adults.

Moderna says the FDA is looking into reports of a rare side effect — myocarditis, or the inflammation of the heart muscle — in those who've gotten the shot.

Moderna says a study in kids 6 to 11 found two doses of the company's COVID-19 vaccine given 28 days apart produced a strong antibody response.