Moderna scientists and executives presented to investors on Thursday their plans to combat new variants of Covid-19. And during the online event they stated bluntly that new waves of the epidemic are on the way.
“As the virus spreads, it is rapidly mutating,” said the company's chief scientific officer, Melissa Moore, during the video call. “Some of these new virus strains appear to be more transmissible than the original strain… We already know that some of these new strains are less susceptible to neutralization by our current vaccine.”
Constant updates
The company said it is testing its vaccine with new variants, and is "constantly" producing and testing new versions of its vaccine. But he cautioned that the process is not instantaneous and that when faced with new waves the company's agility is limited by the complexity of the work.
“The shortest time from detection of a variant of concern to preclinical immunogenicity readout is approximately 2-3 months,” he said Guillaume Stewart-Jones, a researcher at the company.
And new viral variants are coming, constantly emerging in real time.
Guillaume Stewart-Jones, Modern
Vaccinal walkway
During the presentation, the company gave investors an overview of a number of its scientific programs. Needless to say, many revolved around the engineering of mRNA and the performance of the lipid nanoparticles that encase the messenger RNA particles.
The analysts' questions at the end of the event, however, almost all focused on vaccines. It's a sign that a company that revolves around Covid-19 will remain modern for a while longer (hopefully not for long!).
In summary, economically, new waves of the virus may not be necessary to maintain a good level.
Moderna's stock has grown 220% in the past 12 months - its leadership in mRNA-based therapies can go a long way.
