mRNA-1468 + BNT167

**mRNA-1468 + BNT167** is a combination of two investigational mRNA vaccines developed for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster), caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). mRNA-1468, from Moderna, encodes a truncated glycoprotein E (gE) antigen with a Y569A mutation to enhance trafficking to the trans-Golgi network, delivered via lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to induce humoral and cellular immune responses including antigen-specific T cells. BNT167, from Pfizer/BioNTech, encodes different versions of the VZV surface glycoprotein E (gE), critical for viral replication and cell-to-cell spread, leveraging mRNA technology proven in their COVID-19 vaccine. The pairing represents parallel clinical exploration of mRNA platforms targeting the same antigen for improved efficacy, tolerability, and scalable production over existing vaccines like Shingrix, with Phase 1/2 trials assessing safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity in adults aged 50+.[1][2][5][6]