Moderna is speculated to be in talks with Indian firms, including Wockhardt and a Tata group company, for manufacturing and/or marketing its COVID-19 vaccine. A deal in India could help the company meet its obligation to supply COVAX but Moderna is likely to choose its partner carefully.

US FDA considering approach that is similar to, but more stringent than, influenza strain changes, CBER Director Marks says. Meanwhile, vaccine developers face challenge of when to change antigens to get the best results, NIH’s Graham notes. As FDA and sponsors gain more experience with tweaking the vaccines to account for new coronavirus variants and strains, the process may be expedited further.

New round of orders would give the US all the vaccine it needs from the existing mRNA products, taking pressure off AstraZeneca as it experiences manufacturing challenges and the EU considers export restrictions to ensure it gets enough vaccine.