Moderna's Valera Takes mRNA Approach To Combat Zika

With new funding in hand, Moderna and its infectious disease venture Valera are going full-speed ahead with a Zika vaccine, taking an mRNA approach, which they said could be a more rapid strategy to try to stop the disease.

Zika Mosquito

Even though it's somewhat behind others in chasing a vaccine to combat Zika, Moderna Therapeutics LLC is hoping its messenger RNA (mRNA) platform will take its investigational product down a speedier path to protecting against the virus.

"There is reason to believe our technology will allow us to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest," said Michael Watson, president of Valera, Moderna's infectious disease-focused venture,...

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