Moderna Therapeutics Named a "Fierce 15" Biotech Company for 2013

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Moderna Therapeutics, the pioneering company developing messenger RNA therapeutics™, a revolutionary new treatment modality to enable the in vivo production of therapeutic proteins, announced today that FierceBiotech has named Moderna as one of 2013's Fierce 15.

The award designates Moderna as one of the most promising private companies in the biotech industry. Companies from around the world are selected based on strength of technology, venture funding, and their potential to positively impact the treatment of human diseases.

"With its messenger RNA therapies, Moderna has the potential to reinvent the way protein therapies are developed and created," says Executive Editor Ryan McBride. "AstraZeneca validated this potential in a landmark deal that gives Moderna the cash and resources to become a major player in oncology and rare diseases, making this company one to watch closely."

"We are honored to be selected as a Fierce 15 company and recognized for our vision in the field of messenger RNA therapeutics™," said Stephane Bancel, president and founding CEO of Moderna. "This award comes at an exciting time for us, as we recently published our first proof of concept study in Nature Biotechnology, providing important validation of our platform's potential to treat many diseases that cannot be addressed today. We are thrilled to be moving forward quickly and safely to translate our technology into treatment for patients in need."

About Moderna Therapeutics

Moderna is pioneering messenger RNA therapeutics™, an entirely new in vivo drug modality that produces human proteins or antibodies inside patient cells, which are in turn active intracellularly or secreted. This breakthrough platform addresses currently undruggable targets and offers a superior alternative to existing drug modalities for a wide range of disease conditions. Moderna has developed a broad intellectual property estate, including 144 patent applications with 6,910 claims ranging from novel nucleotide chemistries to specific drug compositions. The company plans to develop and commercialize its innovative messenger RNA drugs—initially for rare diseases and oncology—while partnering drug candidates in other therapeutic areas in order to rapidly deliver this innovation to patients. Moderna is a privately held company based in Cambridge, Mass. Visit www.modernatx.com to learn more.

About FierceBiotech

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For information contact:
Dan Quinn
617-761-6732
[email protected]

SOURCE Moderna Therapeutics