The competition to create combination treatments for Covid-19 and the flu is intensifying.

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Vaccine developers are now focusing on creating combination shots that protect against both Covid-19 and the flu.

With Covid vaccination rates in the U.S. declining, companies such as Novavax are hoping that more convenient combo shots providing protection against two viruses will boost uptake among Americans. However, some health experts have expressed skepticism about this belief, as previously reported by CNBC.

Combo jabs may also decrease the strain that respiratory viruses, which usually spread annually, put on pharmacists and the broader U.S. health-care system.

The competition to create vaccines is intensifying, with all three companies conducting mid-to-late-stage trials.

Last week, Pfizer and its German partner encountered a setback, potentially giving rival Moderna an advantage.

Pfizer's RNA-based vaccine that combines its Covid shot with an experimental flu shot did not meet one of the main goals of a phase three trial on 8,000 adults, potentially putting the jab's future at risk.

The vaccine was more effective against influenza A than the licensed flu vaccine and as effective against Covid as Pfizer's product. However, it showed a weaker immune response against influenza B compared to the licensed flu vaccine.

Pfizer and BioNTech will discuss adjustments to the combo shot with health authorities, according to a release.

Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development, Annaliesa Anderson, stated in a release that the company remains optimistic about its combination COVID-19 and influenza program and is currently evaluating the next steps.

Pfizer's outgoing chief scientific officer, Mikael Dolsten, stated at a March conference that the company aims to launch its combination shot in 2025. However, the results of Friday are uncertain and may affect this timeline.

The combination shot of Moderna's mRNA-based vaccine outperformed existing standalone shots for Covid and the flu in a late-stage trial held in June, with higher immune responses.

Moderna intends to submit a regulatory application for the vaccine and anticipates its availability in 2025.

"According to Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger, the failure of the Pfizer and BioNTech combo vaccine study has made Moderna the leader in the development of mRNA combo vaccines. Risinger added that Pfizer's update has increased the chances that Moderna's shot could be the first commercially available combo mRNA vaccine."

Pfizer's stumble could benefit Novavax and its partner, who teamed up earlier this year to create protein-based combination Covid and flu shots. In May, Sanofi, a leading flu shot manufacturer, committed to paying Novavax up to $1.2 billion upfront and future milestones to collaborate on combining their vaccines.

Pfizer may be able to revise its vaccine to obtain regulatory approval, as Moderna did with its flu vaccine, which initially failed to produce an effective immune response against influenza B.

We'll closely monitor any updates in the combination shot space, so stay tuned.

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The UGM meeting of Epic's health-care tech is currently taking place, and here's what you can anticipate.

This is Ashley, reporting live from Verona, Wisconsin!

I'm attending Epic Systems' annual Users Group Meeting (UGM) for the first time, and it's bound to be a memorable day.

This week, thousands of health-care leaders are gathered at Epic's 1,670-acre headquarters, located about 30 minutes away from Madison, to discuss technology in the health-care industry.

On Tuesday, Epic's CEO Judy Faulkner and other senior leaders will provide updates on the company's latest initiatives in a partially underground auditorium called "Deep Space," which can accommodate more than 11,000 people.

Epic's campus is known for its quirky atmosphere, featuring statues of wizards and themed buildings like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland." I'll be going on a guided tour this afternoon, so I'll share more about this unique campus soon.

The UGM theme this year is "storytime," as stated on the company's website. Don't let anyone convince you that health care is uninteresting.

We can anticipate that Epic will make significant announcements regarding its efforts to incorporate artificial intelligence into its software. The company has over 60 AI development projects in progress, as stated on its website. Additionally, its partnerships with prominent AI scribing companies such as Abridge and Microsoft's Nuance Communications have generated a lot of buzz in the industry this year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, both Nuance and Abridge are here attending UGM.

This summer, Epic has contributed to the health-tech interoperability space by assisting the federal government in establishing the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). As one of the participating organizations, Epic has helped to create a legal and technical framework for securely sharing patient data.

Epic announced on Friday that it plans to relocate all of its customers to TEFCA by the end of next year. This significant shift is expected to enhance the exchange's reputation due to Epic's extensive market presence and long-standing history.

Epic's leadership will likely discuss these initiatives, in addition to other methods the company is utilizing to maximize its extensive network.

I'll be sharing a lot of UGM content with you this week, and if you know of any great cheese curds on campus, please let me know.

Rewritten sentence: Please provide any tips, suggestions, story ideas, and data to Ashley at [email protected].