May 23 (Reuters) - Moderna ( MRNA ) said on Friday it

had filed a marketing application for an updated COVID vaccine

to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The company said the submission is based on guidance from

the FDA, which advised that COVID-19 vaccines should be updated

to target newer strains that are a part of JN.1 lineage, with a

preference for the LP.8.1 variant.