Moderna said on Thursday it is developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against Covid-19 with its experimental flu shot.
The company hopes to eventually add vaccines it is working on for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory diseases as an annual shot.
"We believe this is a very large opportunity that is ahead of us, if we could bring to market a high efficacy pan-respiratory annual booster," Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said during a presentation to update investors on its drugs in development.
"We believe Moderna could be first to market in this important new opportunity," he said.
The company is conducting clinical trials for an RSV vaccine in older adults.
The drugmaker already had several influenza vaccine candidates in development. The new vaccine combines the experimental flu shot that is furthest along with its Covid vaccine.
Novavax said on Wednesday it has initiated an early-stage study to test its combined flu and Covid vaccine.
Moderna also provided updates on its ongoing mid-stage trial testing its authorized Covid vaccine in children aged 6 months to less than 12 years.
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Moderna's vaccine, which received its emergency authorization for people aged 18 and older in the United States in December, is currently under an FDA review for use in adolescents.
As part of the pediatric trial, the company said it will test 50 micrograms of its vaccine in a study group of 4,000 children between 6 years and less than 12 years.
Moderna said dose selection studies for different age groups such as 2 years to less than 6 years, and 6 months to below 2 years age groups, were still underway.
Rival vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech was authorized for ages 12 to 15 years earlier this year.