The American pharmaceutical giant Moderna wants to push messenger RNA vaccine technology further by developing new preventive treatments that can fight against various respiratory infections and other diseases, such as cancers. Vaccines of the future that could well be created and manufactured in the future Laval factory.
At a press conference to inaugurate the construction site of the future plant in the Cité de la biotech, in Laval, the president of Moderna Therapeutics, Dr.r Stephen Hoge, confirmed that in the event of a new pandemic, we could produce up to 100 million doses there per year. According to the Dr Hoge, this allows Canada not only to ensure its own protection, but also to become a world leader who can help other countries.
However, it is the research and development aspect that most motivates the Dr Hog. He pointed out that eight other drugs are currently being studied in Canada by teams at Moderna and through collaborations with researchers from McGill University and the University of Toronto.
Moderna Canada’s president and CEO, Patricia Gauthier, said the company is moving very quickly in the field of infectious diseases, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and cytomegalovirus because the technology has proven its effectiveness. At the same time, we want to tackle rare diseases, and three clinical studies are currently being tested in the country, according to the CEO of Moderna Canada. As soon as satisfactory results are demonstrated, the company intends to “go very hollow in this line,” she promised.
Other avenues for the future are those of cancers and autoimmune diseases. “Two years ago, we didn’t even have a commercial product and now we have 48 programs in development,” notes Ms.me Gautier.
Moderna’s Canadian headquarters are in Toronto, but a few employees are already at work in the Montreal area, Ms.me Gautier. The team quickly grew from five to around thirty people, and recruitment is in full swing. In particular, we are looking for engineers, experts in quality assurance and quality control, as well as labor for the production of messenger RNA. It is estimated that around 75 people could be assigned to production once the plant is operational in 2024.