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EF: Could you elaborate on the central goal of the partnership between Moderna and Asofarma/Adium Group?
RS: Moderna has a long history of investing in advancing modalities for mRNA medicines. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, we could respond to the urgency as a leader in mRNA technology. We accelerated the development, evaluation, and production of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Despite being a company of less than 300 people, we moved from spike protein sequence selection to the first human dose in just 63 days. This achievement was not a miracle but the result of heavy investment and over a decade of research. Through collaboration with governments and agencies, rigorous testing, and parallel processes, we achieved the first commercial launch in 2021, producing 800 million doses. Of these, approximately 25 per cent were supplied to low- to middle-income countries. From a company that nobody knew, we became the producers of a highly effective vaccine. We are now well above the 1 billion doses produced mark and continue our mission to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines.
Moderna is a company that has embraced collaboration from day one. Our goal is to make vaccines available across the Americas. Initially, challenges included production, regulatory approval, and government contracts. We succeeded with support from Cambridge, where we are headquartered, and Latin American governments. However, local presence is vital to expand our reach, engage government officials, and facilitate conversations with key opinion leaders in local languages to maximize vaccine availability.
Facing urgency, opening a subsidiary was not feasible. After exploring options, we chose ADIUM, with a direct presence in 18 Latin American countries, as our solution. They understood the challenge and committed to investing in experienced individuals from various vaccine and governmental affairs backgrounds to assist us in building a LATAM presence. Through ADIUM, we assembled a diverse, talented group from multiple vaccine companies, enriching our experience and diversity.
We also had a long-term vision beyond COVID-19, foreseeing a pipeline of vaccines for infectious diseases, latent diseases, and public health. ADIUM, a premier Latin American company in distribution and licensing, understands the potential of Moderna's pipeline for the next 5 to 10 years, including vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, and autoimmune diseases. While our current agreement focuses on the COVID-19 vaccine, we appreciate ADIUM's commitment to a long-term partnership.
EF: How can Latin America attract more healthcare innovation investments, especially Mexico?
RS: mRNA technology's beauty lies in its flexibility and speed. This speed allows rapid development of the first COVID-19 vaccine and quick adaptation to new variants or combinations of strains as requested by epidemiology and regulators. Responding to such needs, we are now moving to an updated monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccine to address epidemiological requirements and enhance effectiveness.
We have made significant investments in conducting clinical trials directly in Latin America. Leveraging powerful tools and advanced technology, our vaccine demonstrates high efficacy. Independent real-world studies consistently rank Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as effective for reducing the risk of hospitalization, severe disease, and mortality in Latin America.
Despite having technology and vaccines available, low vaccination rates in Latin America lead to preventable disease outbreaks. It is crucial to rationalize vaccine implementation to ensure economic protection, safety, and efficient use of taxpayers' money. Moderna and ADIUM are committed to improving vaccination rates, starting with healthcare providers. Data shows that if the health providers get vaccinated and recommend the vaccine, 80 percent of the population will follow suit. Increased investment in healthcare security and clinical trials is necessary.
mRNA technology showed us that we are in an era of highly efficient capital allocation. We can quickly produce and deliver with the help of Asofarma/Adium in Mexico. Getting those vaccines rapidly on the market is critical. One key aspect of this is working with regulators to ensure the process for reviewing vaccines is as efficient as possible. Efforts are needed to streamline and harmonize this process, as exemplified by Mexico's COFEPRIS commissioner, Alejandro Svarch.
Moderna is in LATAM, and even though we do not have sites in Latin America, our partnerships effectively meet our needs. Our focus lies in advancing our pipeline to expand the availability of approved products in the region. Our mission remains focused on reaching a high number of patients. Doubling down on partnerships and collaborating with agencies, stakeholders, and payers will facilitate swift approvals for our vaccines and medicines.
EF: What is the current status of Moderna's pipeline, particularly regarding oncology, rare diseases, and immunology? How might mRNA technology revolutionize treatment approaches and reimbursement methods in Latin America?
RS: The name Moderna is a play-on-words acronym for “Modify mRNA.” Our mission is to Our mission is to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines.
Gene therapy and mRNA are often used interchangeably, but they are vastly different. Clarifying this is crucial to address vaccine hesitancy, as some believe mRNA impacts DNA, which it does not.
We are very excited about our pipeline, spanning vaccines and therapies for infectious diseases, immunology, rare diseases, autoimmunity, and more, totaling around 45 products with six candidates in Phase 3. By 2025, we aim to double our Phase 3 programs and launch up to 15 products in the next five years. We call it the mRNA revolution.
MRNA technology can help rapidly develop millions of vaccines, in addition to offering individualized therapy for challenging cancers. The rare diseases field is challenging because of the economics of treating few people. However, mRNA technology is capital-efficient and has the potential to radically transform the way we treat rare diseases and complex diseases in oncology.
EF: Throughout Latin America, there are significant disparities in healthcare access and quality. How can companies like Moderna contribute to the development of more sustainable healthcare systems in the region?
RS: It is essential to understand that our healthcare systems are underfunded, fragmented, and complex. Vaccines are the most cost-effective intervention governments can embark on, as vaccination is a matter of public health.
Our role extends beyond developing and seeking regulatory approvals and access; we also provide data demonstrating the broader impact on social health, workforce productivity, reduced absenteeism, savings, and the economic benefits of investing in preventive healthcare like vaccines. Latin America has embraced this approach, with joint efforts between the Pan American Health Organization and governments since the 1970s, leading to improved vaccine breadth and quality in national programs. However, it has been nearly a decade since Mexico incorporated a new vaccine, which is not expected from a leading country.
We need to maximize the low-hanging fruit. With ongoing programs targeting flu, COVID-19, and RSV, we are exploring the possibility of combining these vaccines into a single shot to address multiple respiratory diseases, potentially resulting in significant healthcare system savings.
Moderna is highly committed to its global health strategy. We are expanding the potential impact of mRNA vaccines by using a program called ‘mRNA access’ to work with governments and researchers to tackle viruses with public health concerns. This commitment involves advancing vaccine candidates identified by SEPI and WHO as crucial public health vaccines in the coming years. We have signed a collaboration agreement for the mRNA axis with the National Council of Science and Technology of Argentina to support them in testing different targets for Chagas disease. We investigate these vaccines to ensure we are constantly prepared for future pandemics.
