US President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday canceled a $590 million contract with Moderna to develop an avian flu vaccine, the US biotech company said. The statement added Moderna would "explore alternatives" for funding the development and manufacturing of the vaccine.

The US Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a contract with drugmaker Moderna to develop a vaccine to protect against bird flu amid the agency’s broader efforts to reevaluate therapies that use mRNA technology.

The Trump administration has canceled $766 million awarded to drugmaker Moderna Inc. to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including H5N1 bird flu. The company