Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a deal for a Moderna bird flu shot, NIH trial shortcomings, and more – STAT

Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. We can tell because countless birds are chirping outside our window, the pace of motor vehicles passing by is picking up, and the official mascots are busy foraging for snacks on the campus. As for us, we are engaged in the usual ritual of brewing cups of stimulation. Our choice today is orange cream. As always, you are invited to join us. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits for you to digest as you embark on your journey, which we hope is satisfying and rewarding. On that note, time to get cracking. Best of luck, and do keep in touch.

The U.S. government is nearing an agreement to bankroll a late-stage trial of Modernas mRNA pandemic bird flu vaccine, hoping to bolster its pandemic jab stockpile as an H5N1 outbreak spreads through egg farms and among cattle herds, The Financial Times reports. The federal funding from the governments Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, could come as early as next month. The agreement is expected to total several tens of millions of dollars, and could be accompanied by a commitment to procure doses if the Phase 3 trials are successful. Bird flu has been detected on poultry farms in 48 states and in dairy cow herds across nine states.

Clinical trials that are funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health often enroll fewer Black patients and other underrepresented racial groups than planned, STAT writes, according to a study of 30 such trials sampled by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. Most NIH-funded clinical trials that were reviewed missed planned enrollment targets by varying degrees. Clinical trials most commonly recruited fewer Black, Native American and Alaska Native, and Asian participants than originally planned. Clinical trials missed targets for female participants more often than they did for male participants.

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Pharmalittle: We're reading about a deal for a Moderna bird flu shot, NIH trial shortcomings, and more - STAT