Biotech - Has the Moderna vaccine changed data forever?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020, the response was nothing short of remarkable. One of the most exciting developments in the fight against COVID has been the development and rollout of the Moderna vaccine. 

But what many people may not realize is that the Moderna vaccine has also changed the way we use biotech data. 

In this article we will look at the Moderna vaccine and analyze what it did for life science technology, culture, and the world as a whole. But first, how exactly did the vaccine come to be? 

What was Moderna’s vaccine originally intended for? 

The original goal of Moderna, the company that developed the COVID-19 vaccine, was not to create a vaccine for COVID-19. Moderna was founded in 2010 with the goal of using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to develop a new class of medicines altogether. 

What is mRNA?

mRNA technology involves using genetic material to instruct cells to produce specific proteins. Moderna was initially focused on using this technology to create therapies for a variety of diseases, including cancer and infectious diseases.

How it became the COVID vaccine

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, Moderna pivoted its focus to developing a vaccine for COVID. The company was able to leverage its expertise in mRNA technology to develop a vaccine that was highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19. 

The rapid development and rollout of the vaccine have been a major milestone in the global effort to control the pandemic. 

While the COVID-19 vaccine was not the original goal of Moderna, it has certainly been a game-changer for the company and the field of mRNA technology more broadly. The success of the vaccine has demonstrated the potential of mRNA technology to rapidly respond to global health crises and has helped to bring health technology innovations to the mainstream.

What has Moderna Vaccine changed?

Life Sciences Investors

In recent years, experienced biotech investors have retargeted their funds from biotech development towards technology that would help them determine the right opportunities to invest in instead. In doing so, data analysts found that many of these ‘failed’ biotechs had data that could be repurposed, similar to how Moderna’s mRNA research turned out to be COVID’s $80 billion vaccine darling. 

The Moderna unicorn seemed to have done more than solve the COVID crisis, it inspired how excess research data could be used three-dimensionally. But in a world where data protection is controversial, where will that data repurposing begin and where might it end? Time will tell.  

Clinical trial data

The Moderna vaccine was one of the first COVID-19 vaccines to be tested in clinical trials, and the data from those trials helped establish the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. The results from these trials have been studied by scientists, R&D directors, and medical professionals around the world, and have provided valuable insights into the development of other vaccines and treatments.

Real-world data

As the Moderna vaccine has been distributed and administered around the world, data is being collected on its effectiveness in the real world. This data is helping researchers and life science advisors understand how the vaccine works in different populations and settings, and how well it protects against new variants of the virus.

Vaccine surveillance

The data generated by the Moderna vaccine is also being used to monitor the spread of the virus and the effectiveness of vaccination efforts. This information is critical in guiding public health policies and responses to the pandemic.

Conclusion

The sheer scale of the vaccine rollout has generated a massive amount of data, and the insights that we can gain from it will be invaluable for future global health crises.

With the advancements of mRNA, investment determination by , clinical trial data, real-world data, and vaccine surveillance, the world will function moving forward, so that we can be ready for any and all challenges ahead. And based on the last three years, we know that challenge could be anything.
 

Mazards, a retained firm in London designed to search and consult for biotech companies, commissioned this piece from Dastrum, a life science marketing agency.