The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) agreed to fund up to $54.3 million to advance Moderna’s mRNA‑1018 H5 influenza vaccine into Phase 3 testing. The grant arrives after U.S. government funding for the program was canceled earlier in the year; CEPI’s deal includes a commitment that Moderna will reserve 20% of production capacity for low‑ and middle‑income countries in a pandemic. The support restores momentum for an mRNA pandemic candidate and underscores international efforts to back rapid‑response vaccine platforms. CEPI and Moderna framed the funding as a bridge to efficacy trials amid renewed avian influenza activity and concerns about pandemic risk.