This week, Moderna outlined its R&D progress and cost-cutting strategy, aiming for 10 product approvals by 2027 while reducing expenses.
To streamline operations, Moderna said it will cut R&D expenses by $1.1 billion, focusing on commercializing late-stage products while maintaining profitability through 2027.
The drugmaker also shared its plans to submit its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1283, for approval in 2024. Designed for improved stability in refrigerated conditions, the vaccine demonstrated non-inferior efficacy compared to its predecessor, Spikevax, in phase 3 trials, with a notable 13.5% efficacy boost in participants aged 65 and older.
Additionally, the company is advancing a flu/COVID combination vaccine, mRNA-1083, which met its primary endpoints in a phase 3 study, showing stronger immune responses against both viruses compared to existing licensed vaccines. Moderna's RSV vaccine, mRNA-1345, also showed promising phase 3 results, particularly in high-risk adults aged 18 to 59, with the company planning to file for U.S. approval in 2024.
Moderna is also advancing non-respiratory therapies, with a norovirus vaccine entering phase 3 trials. Other therapies include mRNA-1647 for cytomegalovirus (CMV), a latent virus responsible for significant birth defects, as well as mRNA-3927 and mRNA-3705 targeting rare metabolic disorders, propionic acidemia (PA) and methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), respectively.
Both PA and MMA are characterized by severe metabolic crises, and Moderna's therapies aim to reduce the frequency of these life-threatening episodes. In oncology, Moderna is developing mRNA-4157, an individualized neoantigen therapy in partnership with Merck, which is designed to train the immune system to target specific cancer mutations, with trials focusing on melanoma, kidney cancer, and bladder cancer.