Moderna, new headquarters in Italy at the beginning of 2023 (and starting with 20 hires) – Corriere.it

Moderna opens a branch in Italy. The American company, which specializes in mRNA technology applied to vaccines, has decided to have a direct presence in our country. The first step was the appointment of Jacopo Murzi as general manager. Former general manager of Alfasigma’s Italy business unit, Murzi worked for Janssen for many years, both in Italy and abroad. In Moderna Italia he will have the responsibility of creating and guiding a team of professionals who will work alongside the medical director Cinzia Marano. He graduated in Management Engineering al Politecnico di Milano and holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi. “I am thrilled to be joining Moderna. The company’s collaboration with Italy was born with the launch of the first anti-Covid vaccine, but now there is the will to build a more important reality, which includes all the typical functions of a group operating in the pharmaceutical field – he says. to the Corriere della Sera the new general manager of Moderna Italia -. We are at a tipping point in the public health sector and we will make sure that Modern Italy is characterized as a reference partner for all the Italian institutions, health professionals and scientific societies with which it will collaborate ».

What is the meaning of this direct presence in Italy?
«There is the desire to create an Italian branch of the company, but also to present our country system and the opportunities it offers to Moderna global. In the medium and long term, the objective is to accelerate the dialogue with institutional stakeholders to verify the possibility of having an industrial presence in Italy and therefore being able to research and develop drugs with the Moderna platform, which is based on continuous progress in the science of ‘basic and applied mRNA, in delivery technology and manufacturing, and has enabled the development of therapies and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune diseases. We also want to ensure that Moderna’s future products are available as soon as possible for Italian patients and doctors ».

In 2021, negotiations had begun with the Ministry of Economic Development, then led by Giancarlo Giorgetti, for the opening of a production site in Italy.
“It is my intention to resume and accelerate discussions with the government and all institutional stakeholders. For Italy, having such an important industrial presence would be an opportunity to compete with other countries that have similar ambitions. It is necessary to become aware of how important it is to have these technologies at home, in a historical moment in which there is the will to become self-sufficient, from many points of view, and there is the need to prepare for future health emergencies, such as that that we have lived. We must remember that the vaccines, which saved us from Covid, were produced in only one country: the United States. At the beginning in Italy we counted the packages, having the possibility to produce them directly would radically change the situation. Furthermore, Italy, unlike France and Germany, does not yet have a national sample dealing with mRNA vaccines ”.

Have you already identified the locations for the new offices?
“Almost. We want to have an immediate and important presence in Rome, because Moderna intends to continue to be an interlocutor for the Ministry of Health, institutions and more. But we will also open an office in Milan, where we believe there are many important interlocutors. In both cases they will have to be flexible solutions that allow us to increase the spaces in a short time, if necessary. Both offices will be fully operational by January 2023 ».

How many people will work on it? And which profiles are you looking for?
«About twenty people, who will be hired by the beginning of 2023. Then there will be other steps to grow further. We are looking for highly qualified profiles, both in the marketing direction, regulatory affairs, market access, dialogue with the Regions and in the digital and medical fields ».

Our country boasts research centers of excellence in the oncology field, which is one of the sectors in which Moderna is trying to extend mRNA technology, are you already thinking about future collaborations?
“If Moderna can have an industrial presence in our country, which also includes a share of research and development, this can lead to numerous virtuous collaborations, both in the field of vaccines and new oncological therapies currently under study. We see that there are several Italian research realities and centers of excellence interested in messenger mRNA technology, which could certainly benefit from a collaboration with Moderna and vice versa ».

In the third quarter of this year, Moderna recorded a boom in profit and turnover, thanks to the success of its vaccine, but below expectations.
«It must be said that last year the data were far beyond expectations, this year in fact they are in line. Moderna has managed to bring two new vaccines to the market within three months and has shown that it can compete, even from an operational point of view, with any other company. We are also very proud of our achievements in advancing our mRNA pipeline. It is also true that, being a very young company, perhaps it needs to become a little more efficient in its production processes. Furthermore, the bivalent is having a little slower trends than last year, also because there is a bit of tiredness or fatigue on the part of people in carrying out the updated vaccination. We must make it clear that it is essential not to let our guard down ».

What are the next goals of the company?
«The main determinant will still be the Covid vaccine. But from next year on some markets we will also be able to see the launch of new products such as the anti-flu vaccine and the one against the respiratory syncytial virus. We have more than 47 programs in development, we are studying personalized vaccines against cancer and against some rare diseases based on mRNA. As far as Italy is concerned, the goal is to be able to work on the mRNA platform in our country and for our country, bringing new vaccines and other products from our pipeline, always targeting patients who are waiting for solutions that can transform their condition. medical “.

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