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After winning approval for its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination, Moderna has acknowledged that it has been more difficult than expected to win market share from its two key rivals in this field. In May, Moderna received FDA clearance (regarding older adults) for its RSV vaccination, joining competitors GSK and Pfizer in the US market. However, uptake for Moderna’s mResvia vaccine, has been slower than anticipated.
Jamey Mock, CFO at Moderna said “Maybe we were overly optimistic about our ability to compete in the first year of RSV,” at a recent Moderna ‘R&D Day’ conference. The company admits it will be “more realistic” moving forward.
Additionally, Stéphane Bancel, CEO at Moderna, also admitted difficulties in contracting and the long wait for receiving approval for usage recommendations from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as negatively impacting its ability to grow in this particular market. Bancel added, “We were, I think, maybe naïve or too optimistic about the start of the launch of RSV and I take full responsibility for it.”
As GSK has established its dominance in this particular vaccination field with this age group, both Pfizer and Moderna are aiming to obtain FDA clearance for its alternatives to be used by adults aged between 18 and 59.