WASHINGTON — Moderna Inc. plans to tell U.S. lawmakers that it more than adequately compensated the government for its role in a COVID-19 vaccine partnership that brought the drugmaker billions of dollars, a central point in what’s likely to be a heated Capitol Hill hearing this week.
The U.S. invested $1.5 billion to help fund Moderna’s clinical trials. In exchange, the company gave the government a discount on the shots that resulted in about $3 billion less in sales than rival Pfizer, Moderna President Stephen Hoge said Monday.
“We think we’ve paid it back and then some,” he said in an interview, adding that the company is grateful for the support. “We truly do believe that the public-private partnership was valuable and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
