Date: 2016-04-04
Type of information: Nomination
Compound:
Company: Valera, a Moderna Therapeutics'venture (USA - MA)
Therapeutic area: Infectious diseases
Type agreement: nomination
Action mechanism:
Disease:
Details: * On April 4, 2016, Moderna Therapeutics, a clinical stage pioneer in the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) Therapeutics™, announced that Dr. Michael Watson has been appointed President of Valera, one of Moderna’s four wholly owned venture companies. Valera is focused on the development and commercialization of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of viral, bacterial and parasitic infectious diseases. Dr. Watson is a trained physician in internal medicine and infectious disease, bringing a twenty-year career in vaccine work to his new role with Moderna. Previously, Dr. Watson was Global Head of Vaccination Policy and Advocacy at Sanofi Pasteur. He has also held positions including Head of R&D for Acambis, UK Medical Director of Aventis Pasteur MSD as well as Head of Clinical and Epidemiology for SPMSD in France. His broad experience developing and licensing vaccines for conditions from smallpox, to encephalitis, to influenza and more has involved collaboration with key organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI (The Vaccine Alliance) and other government and non-governmental organizations. He has served as Chair of the Vaccines Committee and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Group of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, (IFPMA) and is a member of the Board of Vaccines Europe and a board member of The Foundation for Innovative New Vaccines, FIND. Across its ecosystem of wholly owned ventures and external partners, Moderna is advancing a pipeline of more than 90 discovery programs, which span a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas. In addition to infectious diseases, these currently include rare diseases, oncology, immuno-oncology and cardiovascular disease, among others.
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