CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients, today announced the appointment of Michael Mullette as Managing Director, Canada effective immediately.
Mr. Mullette will establish a permanent presence for Moderna in Canada as an expansion to Moderna’s North America footprint at a time when the company is scaling up operations for late-stage development and large scale manufacturing of mRNA-1273, its investigational vaccine against COVID-19. A Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273 in the U.S. has already enrolled over two-thirds of participants and follows the publication of interim results from the Phase 1 study, led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrating that mRNA-1273 induced rapid and strong immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.
“I am honored to take on the task of making Canada home to Moderna’s expanded North American footprint and to start building a strong local team,” said Mr. Mullette. “Having spent time working in the Canadian public health system, I know just how much interest there is across the country in Moderna’s progress in bringing a COVID-19 vaccine to market. My focus will be to deliver on those expectations and support access to Moderna’s innovative mRNA platform for Canadian citizens.”
Mr. Mullette joined Moderna in August 2020 as Vice President, Market Access, and will continue to operate in that role. He brings a deep familiarity with the Canadian health care system and biopharmaceutical industry to the company, having spent the previous two years in Montreal as General Manager and Country Chair for Sanofi Canada, and a further 19 years in progressively senior roles with Sanofi Pasteur.
Moderna remains on track to be able to deliver up to 56 million doses of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to help protect Canadians beginning in 2021. The Canadian vaccine supply will be sourced from Moderna’s European production capacity with its strategic manufacturing partner Lonza of Switzerland, and ROVI of Spain for fill-finish manufacturing outside of the U.S.
“With Moderna’s vaccine candidate for COVID-19 now in Phase 3 clinical trials, we are delighted to have Michael with us to help deliver mRNA solutions to Canadians,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna. “Michael brings a wealth of first-hand experience not only in the sector, but in working with Canada’s unique public health and health care systems.”
Moderna’s decision to establish a local subsidiary reflects Moderna’s positive experience with Canada’s partnership-driven approach to public health and the productive working relationship it has built with federal and provincial health officials.
About Moderna
Moderna is advancing messenger RNA (mRNA) science to create a new class of transformative medicines for patients. mRNA medicines are designed to direct the body’s cells to produce intracellular, membrane or secreted proteins that can have a therapeutic or preventive benefit and have the potential to address a broad spectrum of diseases. The company’s platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, providing Moderna the capability to pursue in parallel a robust pipeline of new development candidates. Moderna is developing therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and cardiovascular diseases, independently and with strategic collaborators.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Moderna currently has strategic alliances for development programs with AstraZeneca PLC and Merck & Co., Inc., as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past five years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including regarding the Company’s development of a potential vaccine against the novel coronavirus, the potential for mRNA-1273 to prevent COVID-19 disease and slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, plans for expansion into the Canadian market, the supply of mRNA-1273 to the Canadian government, and plans for the manufacturing and distribution of mRNA-1273. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could”, “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond Moderna’s control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, among others: the fact that there has never been a commercial product utilizing mRNA technology approved for use; the fact that the rapid response technology in use by Moderna is still being developed and implemented; the fact that the safety and efficacy of mRNA-1273 has not yet been established; potential adverse impacts due to the global COVID-19 pandemic such as delays in regulatory review, manufacturing and clinical trials, supply chain interruptions, adverse effects on healthcare systems and disruption of the global economy; and those other risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Moderna’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in subsequent filings made by Moderna with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, Moderna disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on Moderna’s current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof.
