Everybody knows about Moderna today, after the COVID-19 pandemic. But what did the company look like in 2011 when it was founded?
In 2011, Moderna was grounded in the concept that mRNA technology could revolutionize medicine by safely injecting mRNA to treat various diseases, much like the early days of biotech companies like Amgen and Genentech in the 1970s. We envisioned creating a whole new field of medicine, leveraging mRNA as an information molecule, which allows for the creation of proteins by simply rearranging the sequence of its nucleotides. This was seen not just as a new form of medicine but as having the potential to lead a new era in digital medicine, predicated on our understanding that mRNA's role goes beyond one or two drugs—it promised a vast array of treatments due to its fundamental nature.
What makes mRNA such a powerful tool for treating various diseases?
mRNA is fundamentally transformative because it operates through proteins, which are essential to bodily functions and are often at the heart of disease processes. Traditional biotechnologies are limited to producing certain types of proteins, but mRNA can be used to produce virtually any protein within the body, including those that are typically hard to synthesize with existing technologies. This capability allows mRNA to address a wide spectrum of diseases, potentially with fewer limitations than traditional approaches, by harnessing the body’s own cellular machinery to correct or enhance protein production.
How has Moderna's R&D investment shaped its approach to drug development?
Since our early days, we have made substantial investments in R&D - just this year, approximately $4.5 billion. This reflects our commitment to the innovative sciences of mRNA. Our approach has been to not limit ourselves to a single drug but to develop multiple medicines to address a variety of diseases. For instance, our work on infectious disease vaccines has led to advancements in creating combined vaccines for COVID, flu, and RSV, simplifying annual vaccinations into a single shot, and exploring vaccines for latent viruses like herpes and CMV. This is complemented by our focus on customized solutions like the UK-specific vaccines to cater to regional needs.
Could you discuss Moderna's recent advancements in cancer treatment?
Our oncology pipeline is robust, focusing on individualized neoantigen therapy (INT), which tailors treatments to the unique genetic makeup of a patient’s tumor, distinguishing between mutations present in cancerous and healthy cells. This personalized approach, particularly our progress in treating melanoma, has shown promising results, with significant improvements in survival rates. These therapies, developed in collaboration with Merck, leverage the immune system’s capabilities to better recognize and combat cancer cells, illustrating the potential of mRNA technology in oncology.
Following the rapid development and deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine, has Moderna been able to accelerate its other vaccine programs similarly?
The unprecedented global effort during the COVID-19 pandemic did lead to faster-than-normal vaccine development timelines. We have applied lessons from that experience to other vaccine programs, significantly cutting down the typical development timelines from what used to take years to just months. For instance, our RSV vaccine progressed from phase 1 to phase 3 trials in just 24 months—a remarkable feat compared to industry standards. This demonstrates not only the flexibility of mRNA technology but also our ability to respond swiftly to public health needs.
What are the priorities for Moderna post-COVID?
Looking ahead, Moderna is focused on launching new vaccines, like our combined COVID-flu vaccine and the CMV vaccine, which has the potential for significant public health impact given its role in birth defects. Beyond infectious diseases, we are expanding into cancer treatments and rare diseases, exploring different administration methods like inhaled mRNA for cystic fibrosis.
Our research is continuously evolving to include a broader range of diseases, including autoimmune disorders and cardiovascular diseases, highlighting mRNA's versatility and our commitment to leveraging this technology for widespread medical innovation.
