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  • September 2020 (Revised July 2021)
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Moderna (A)

By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Hannah Mayer and Kerry Herman
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:20
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Abstract

In summer 2020, Stephane Bancel, CEO of biotech firm Moderna, faces several challenges as his company races to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. The case explores how a company builds a digital organization, and leverages artificial intelligence and other digital resources to speed its operations, manage its processes and ensure quality across research, testing and manufacturing.
Built from the ground up as such a digital organization, Moderna was able to respond to the challenge of developing a vaccine as soon as the gene sequence for the virus was posted to the Web on January 11, 2020. As the vaccine enters Phase III clinical trials, Bancel considers several issues: How should Bancel and his team balance the demands of developing a vaccine for a virus creating a global pandemic alongside the other important vaccines and therapies in Moderna’s pipeline? How should Moderna communicate its goals and vision to investors in this unprecedented time? Should Moderna be concerned it will be pegged as “a COVID-19 company?”

Keywords

COVID-19; Vaccine; Digital Organizations; Organizational Structure; Operations; Management; Health Pandemics; Research and Development; Goals and Objectives

Citation

Iansiti, Marco, Karim R. Lakhani, Hannah Mayer, and Kerry Herman. "Moderna (A)." Harvard Business School Case 621-032, September 2020. (Revised July 2021.)
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About The Authors

Marco Iansiti

Technology and Operations Management
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Karim R. Lakhani

Technology and Operations Management
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Related Work

    • August 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Moderna (A)

    By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Kerry Herman and Amy Klopfenstein
    • September 2020 (Revised July 2021)
    • Faculty Research

    Moderna (A)

    By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Hannah Mayer and Kerry Herman
Related Work
  • Moderna (A) By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Kerry Herman and Amy Klopfenstein
  • Moderna (A) By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Hannah Mayer and Kerry Herman
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