By partnering with IBM, Moderna aims to expand its expertise in these cutting-edge technologies and leverage them to drive innovation in its product development processes. Through this partnership and investing in quantum computing and artificial intelligence, Moderna will position itself to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving biotech industry and continue delivering impactful solutions that benefit patients and society at large.
Moderna, Inc., a US biotechnology firm known for its pioneering work in messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, has recently unveiled a new collaborative agreement with IBM to explore cutting-edge technologies to advance and accelerate mRNA research and science.
Moderna’s mRNA platform is based on cutting-edge advancements in mRNA science, delivery technology, and manufacturing. This platform has enabled the development of innovative therapeutics and vaccines for a wide range of medical conditions, including infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and auto-immune diseases.
For the past eight years, Moderna has been recognized as a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science, a testament to the company’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the biotechnology field.
“Since our inception, we have always strived to be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, leveraging innovations to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines. We are excited to partner with IBM to develop novel AI models to advance mRNA science, prepare ourselves for the era of quantum computing, and ready our business for these game-changing technologies. We are aiming for breakthrough advances with quantum computing, so we are investing now in building a quantum-ready workforce, to be fully prepared to harness the power of this technology.”
Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.
The agreement will involve Moderna’s efforts to harness the potential of next-generation technologies, such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, to improve the efficiency and efficacy of their research and development processes.
“IBM’s purpose is to be the catalyst to make the world work better, perfectly exemplified by this partnership with Moderna. We are witnessing a revolution in the world of computing, driven by extraordinary advances in AI and quantum computing. Moderna will be able to take advantage of our multi-year research efforts in generative AI for therapeutics that can allow scientists to better understand how molecules behave and may facilitate creating entirely new ones. We are also excited to work with Moderna to help prepare their scientists in the knowledge and use of IBM’s industry-leading quantum computing technologies with the goal of accelerating the discovery and creation of new therapeutics.”
Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President, and Director of IBM Research.
This partnership represents a significant milestone in Moderna’s ongoing quest to stay at the forefront of biotechnology innovation and reflects the company’s steadfast commitment to leveraging emerging technologies to enhance its capabilities in developing mRNA-based therapies and vaccines.
Developing the Next-Generation mRNA Medicines Using Quantum Computing and AI
Furthermore, Moderna will participate in the IBM Quantum Accelerator program and the IBM Quantum Network. Through this collaboration, IBM will grant Moderna access to their quantum computing systems and provide expertise and support to assist Moderna in exploring state-of-the-art use cases in the life sciences field powered by quantum technologies.
To optimize the development of mRNA medicines, scientists from Moderna and IBM are planning to utilize MoLFormer, a foundational artificial intelligence model. This innovative model is designed to predict the properties of molecules and has the potential to provide valuable insights into the characteristics of potential mRNA medicines.
Specifically, Moderna intends to leverage MoLFormer’s capabilities to optimize both lipid nanoparticles, which play a crucial role in protecting mRNA as it travels through the body, and the mRNA itself, which acts as a set of instructions to cells to combat diseases.
Moderna and IBM aim to design mRNA medicines that deliver optimal safety and performance by combining state-of-the-art formulation discovery with generative AI. This initiative represents a significant step forward in developing next-generation therapies and underscores Moderna’s ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of biotechnology research and innovation.
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