mRNA therapies: a new frontier

In this video interview, Nicolas Chornet, Senior Vice President of International Manufacturing at Moderna, discusses development of mRNA therapies for rare diseases as well as his role in managing manufacturing expansions and international supply for the company.

When he joined Moderna in early 2019 after 11 years with Novartis, Chornet was the Site Head for the Norwood clinical development manufacturing plant in Boston. He moved in August 2020 to Basel where he is now based.

Chornet explains how Moderna used its platform to quickly scale up production of the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. He also highlights the versatility of Moderna’s mRNA platform, which can be applied to various therapies beyond just COVID-19, including rare diseases.

Rare diseases is an area that has “always been challenging for drug development,” says Chornet, explaining that in some ways mRNA therapies are “the new frontier” in this space. Chornet reflects on the increased interest in developing mRNA-based therapies for rare diseases, nothing that Moderna alone is “projecting that in the next five years it will launch four new rare diseases therapies.” 

Finally, Chornet provides an update on Moderna’s manufacturing expansion plans. Today the company is building new facilities in the UK, Canada and Australia. He shares an update on  the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre under construction in Harwell in the UK, which he says will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and digital systems.

Additionally, Chornet discusses the skills and expertise required for mRNA processing and the potential impact of artificial intelligence and digital systems on the pharmaceutical industry in the future.

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