Dhaka, May 29 -- The Trump administration has cancelled $766 million awarded to drugmaker Moderna Inc to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu.

The company said it was notified Wednesday that the Health and Human Services Department had withdrawn funds awarded in July 2024 and in January to pay for development and purchase of its investigational vaccine.

The funds were awarded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.

The new vaccine, called mRNA-1018, used the same technology that allowed development and rollout of vaccines to fight Covid-19 in record time.

Health Secretary Ro...