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Moderna's mRNA platform

The power of mRNA

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Our scientists are developing mRNA medicines to help prevent or treat disease. 

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It’s all about proteins

At Moderna, we are working on developing and testing new mRNA medicines for a wide range of diseases.  

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We start with a protein

All mRNA medicines start with identifying a protein that is designed to prevent or treat a certain disease.¹

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Then we design the mRNA

Our scientists design an mRNA that carries instructions for this protein.²

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And repeat this process to create other medicines

To make mRNA vaccines or therapeutics, our scientists create instructions to make different proteins that could help our body fight infections or prevent diseases.²

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We have an extensive pipeline

In addition to mRNA vaccines, Moderna is working on other applications of potential mRNA therapeutics that could help people with cancer, metabolic diseases and more.²

Our approach

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10+ years

At Moderna, we’ve been working on mRNA medicines for over 10 years.³

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mRNA expertise

Our scientists are experts in creating mRNA medicines. They worked very hard to refine our process for making mRNA medicine.³

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Rigorous testing

Like all medicines and medical products, mRNA medicines and vaccines are being rigorously tested in clinical trials for safety and efficacy.³

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Innovative medicines

mRNA products can be created rapidly⁴, which is one of the reasons why mRNA vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19 were created so quickly.³

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The potential of mRNA

With our technology, we are developing potential mRNA treatments in shorter periods of time for previously difficult to treat and emerging diseases.

We could positively impact the lives of millions of people

Our mRNA platform, with its speed, scale and flexibility, is uniquely suited to tackle current and emerging pathogens that threaten global health.³

mRNA research and innovation

Our research and design services enable us and our partners to advance new product ideas into development candidates. 

Our infrastructure enables rapid supply of thousands of pre-clinical mRNAs for in vitro and in vivo research to accelerate programmes from idea to development candidate designation. 

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mRNA DESIGN STUDIO™

Our mRNA DESIGN STUDIO enables rapid design of multiple mRNAs. 

 As the DIGITAL BIOTECH COMPANY™, we maximise the utility of mRNA in our proprietary, web-based mRNA DESIGN STUDIO.  

 

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Protein targeting

  • Our scientists request mRNAs for a specific protein.  

  • The protein target is automatically converted to an initial optimised mRNA sequence.  

  • Using our Sequence Designer module, they can tailor entire mRNAs from the 5’-UTR to the coding region to the 3’-UTR based on our ever-improving proprietary learnings.  

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mRNA tailoring

  • Our proprietary in-house digital application suite contains a Sequence Designer module to tailor an entire mRNA.

  • mRNA DESIGN STUDIO utilises cloud-based computational capacity to run various algorithms we have developed to design each mRNA sequence.  

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Parallel design

  • The utility of cloud-based capacity allows us to provide flexible computational capacity on demand. 

  • This allows the Research Engine to power parallel intake and design of multiple mRNA sequences. 

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Automation platforms

  • The mRNA DESIGN STUDIO integrates with Moderna’s automation platforms – directing orders through each phase of mRNA synthesis.  

  • Once the order is placed, Moderna’s high-throughput mRNA pre-clinical production facility manages the manufacturing of mRNA constructs and delivers them in just weeks

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mRNA early development engine

Across our internally developed and partnered mRNA programmes, we are simultaneously advancing mRNA development candidates for many diseases into and through clinical studies. 

Our services

Our mRNA EARLY DEVELOPMENT ENGINE™ services combine internal and external capabilities for process development, toxicology studies, global regulatory interactions, and clinical study preparation and execution for our mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.

These services are designed to deliver many investigational mRNA vaccines and therapeutics to human proof-of-concept data.

¹Pardi N, et al. mRNA vaccines — a new era in vaccinology. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2018;17:261–279. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd.2017.243. Last accessed August 2023.

²Moderna. The Science of mRNA. Available at: https://modernatx.com/en-GB/power-of-mrna/science-of-mrna. Last accessed August 2023.

³Moderna. 2022 proxy statement. https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001682852/921c1e9a-816c-4794-bec2-367a06e9ee4e.pdf. Last accessed August 2023.

⁴Rosa S, et al. mRNA vaccines manufacturing: Challenges and bottlenecks. Vaccine. 2021;39(16):2190–2200.