Moderna is teaming up with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to contribute to the 100 Days Mission, an initiative aimed at enhancing global pandemic preparedness by accelerating the development of vaccines. The renowned biotech, known for its rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine, will leverage its mRNA platform to expedite the vaccine development process, as outlined in a press release on Monday.
“Future outbreaks are inevitable, but another pandemic is not. Thanks to the scientific and technological innovations advanced during COVID-19, the world now has the tools and capabilities to prevent the next outbreak from spiraling into a global catastrophe. Chief among them is the now proven mRNA vaccine technology, which can be used to develop safe and effective vaccines with remarkable speed that can be rapidly manufactured at scale.”
– CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett, M.D
Also Read: Moderna, BioNTech Face Hurdles In Cancer Vaccine Production After COVID Success
The initial focus of the collaboration will be on assessing novel AI-generated antigen designs and mRNA technology for various viral families with a high risk of causing the next pandemic. CEPI-funded researchers will provide computational antigen designs to Moderna, who will promptly develop vaccine candidates for preclinical testing.
This pilot project aims to evaluate multiple antigen designs and assess the performance of mRNA vaccine technology in combating specific viral families. Additional vaccine development projects will be announced by CEPI and Moderna in the future.
Moderna is the latest addition to CEPI’s mission, joining other organizations dedicated to strengthening global pandemic preparedness. IQVIA, a biopharma data provider, recently joined the 100 Days Mission to streamline global clinical research for vaccines and treatments targeting emerging infectious diseases. In August, the University of Oxford team, which played a pivotal role in the development of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, entered an $80 million research partnership focused on future pandemic prevention.
