IP Library Granted Patent US 12,409,218
Granted Patent B2
US 12,409,218 · App. 19/022,712 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Influenza vaccine

Inventor: Giuseppe Ciaramella (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: ModernaTX, Inc.
A61K39/145A61K9/5123A61P31/16A61K2039/53A61K2039/54A61K2039/545C12N2760/16134
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,409,218
App. No.
19/022,712
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to compositions and methods for the preparation, manufacture and therapeutic use ribonucleic acid vaccines comprising polynucleotide molecules encoding one or more influenza antigens, such as hemagglutinin antigens.

Claims (55)

1. A vaccine comprising a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding an influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen formulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP), wherein 100% of uracil nucleosides in the open reading frame are N1-methylpseudouridine, wherein one dose of the vaccine contains 10-100 μg of the mRNA polynucleotide, wherein the LNP comprises 20-60 mol % cationic lipid, 5-25 mol % neutral lipid, 25-55 mol % cholesterol, and 0.5-15 mol % PEG-modified lipid, wherein the cationic lipid comprises a cationic lipid of Formula (I):

or a salt or isomer thereof, wherein:

R 1 is —R″M′R′;

R 2 and R 3 are each independently C 1-14 alkyl,

R 4 is —(CH 2 ) n Q where Q is —OR, R is H, and n is 4;

R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are each H;

M and M′ are each —OC(O)—;

R′ is C 1-18 alkyl;

R″ is C 3-14 alkyl; and

m is 6.

2. The vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the LNP comprises 0.5-5 mol % PEG-modified lipid.

3. The vaccine of claim 2 , wherein the cationic lipid of Formula (I) is Compound 25:

4. The vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the neutral lipid is DSPC, the PEG-modified lipid is PEG-DMG, and the cationic lipid of Formula (I) is Compound 25:

5. The vaccine of claim 4 , wherein the vaccine is formulated for intramuscular injection.

6. A vaccine comprising a first messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding a first influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen and a second mRNA polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding a second influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen, wherein 100% of uracil nucleosides in the open reading frames are N1-methylpseudouridine, wherein one dose of the vaccine contains 10-100 μg mRNA polynucleotide, wherein the first and second mRNA polynucleotides are co-formulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) comprising 20-60 mol % cationic lipid, 5-25 mol % neutral lipid, 25-55 mol % cholesterol, and 0.5-15 mol % PEG-modified lipid, wherein the cationic lipid comprises a cationic lipid of Formula (I):

or a salt or isomer thereof, wherein:

R 1 is —R″M′R′;

R 2 and R, are each independently C 1-14 alkyl,

R 4 is —(CH 2 ) n Q where Q is —OR, R is H, and n is 4;

R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are each H;

M and M′ are each —OC(O)—;

R′ is C 1-18 alkyl;

R″ is C 3-14 alkyl; and

m is 6.

7. The vaccine of claim 6 , wherein the LNP comprises 0.5-5 mol % PEG-modified lipid.

8. The vaccine of claim 7 , wherein the cationic lipid of Formula (I) is Compound 25:

9. The vaccine of claim 6 , wherein the neutral lipid is DSPC, the PEG-modified lipid is PEG-DMG, and the cationic lipid of Formula (I) is Compound 25:

10. The vaccine of claim 9 , wherein the vaccine is formulated for intramuscular injection.

11. The vaccine of claim 6 , further comprising a third mRNA polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding a third influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen, wherein 100% of uracil nucleosides in the open reading frame are N1-methylpseudouridine, wherein the third mRNA polynucleotide is co-formulated in the LNP.

12. The vaccine of claim 11 , wherein the first, second, and third influenza virus hemagglutinin antigens comprise an influenza A H1N1 hemagglutinin antigen, an influenza A H3N2 hemagglutinin antigen, and an influenza B hemagglutinin antigen.

13. A vaccine comprising a first messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding a first influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen and a second mRNA polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding a second influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen, wherein 100% of uracil nucleosides in the open reading frames are N1-methylpseudouridine, wherein one dose of the vaccine contains 10-100 μg mRNA polynucleotide, wherein the first and second mRNA polynucleotides are formulated in separate lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), each comprising 20-60 mol % cationic lipid, 5-25 mol % neutral lipid, 25-55 mol % cholesterol, and 0.5-15 mol % PEG-modified lipid, wherein the cationic lipid comprises a cationic lipid of Formula (I):

or a salt or isomer thereof, wherein:

R 1 is —R″M′R′;

R 2 and R 3 are each independently C 1-14 alkyl,

R 4 is —(CH 2 ) n Q where Q is —OR, R is H, and n is 4;

R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are each H;

M and M′ are each —OC(O)—;

R′ is C 1-18 alkyl;

R″ is C 3-14 alkyl; and

m is 6.

14. The vaccine of claim 13 , wherein the LNPs comprise 0.5-5 mol % PEG-modified lipid.

15. The vaccine of claim 14 , wherein the cationic lipid of Formula (I) is Compound 25:

16. The vaccine of claim 13 , wherein the neutral lipid is DSPC, the PEG-modified lipid is PEG-DMG, and the cationic lipid of Formula (I) is Compound 25:

17. The vaccine of claim 16 , wherein the vaccine is formulated for intramuscular injection.

18. The vaccine of claim 13 , further comprising a third mRNA polynucleotide comprising an open reading frame encoding a third influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen, wherein 100% of uracil nucleosides in the open reading frame are N1-methylpseudouridine, wherein the third mRNA polynucleotide is separately formulated in an LNP comprising 20-60 mol % cationic lipid, 5-25 mol % neutral lipid, 25-55 mol % cholesterol, and 0.5-15 mol % PEG-modified lipid, wherein the cationic lipid comprises a cationic lipid of Formula (I):

or a salt or isomer thereof, wherein:

R 1 is —R″M′R′;

R 2 and R 3 are each independently C 1-14 alkyl,

R 4 is —(CH 2 ) n Q where Q is —OR, R is H, and n is 4;

R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are each H;

M and M′ are each —OC(O)—;

R′ is C 1-18 alkyl;

R″ is C 3-14 alkyl; and

m is 6.

19. The vaccine of claim 18 , wherein the first, second, and third influenza virus hemagglutinin antigens comprise an influenza A H1N1 hemagglutinin antigen, an influenza A H3N2 hemagglutinin antigen, and an influenza B hemagglutinin antigen.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2025
From: MODERNATX, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073634/0354 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2025
From: CIARAMELLA, GIUSEPPE
To: MODERNATX, INC.
Reel/Frame 071176/0394 →