Blackstone Life Sciences Announces Collaboration to Support Moderna’s Influenza Program

Rhea-AI Summary

Blackstone Life Sciences partners with Moderna to invest $750 million in mRNA technology for influenza program, aiming to advance vaccine development and impact human health.

Financial Analyst

The strategic investment by Blackstone Life Sciences in Moderna's influenza program marks a significant financial event, with the potential to affect both companies' valuations. The commitment of up to $750 million is a substantial figure that can fuel Moderna's research and development efforts. Such partnerships often signal confidence in the involved parties' future prospects, which can be a positive indicator for investors. This collaboration may enhance Moderna's ability to bring new vaccines to market, potentially leading to increased revenue streams. It is important to monitor how this investment will be allocated and the expected return on investment, as these factors will influence the future financial performance of both entities.

Medical Research Analyst

The collaboration between Blackstone and Moderna underscores the growing interest in mRNA technology, which has been propelled into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic. mRNA vaccines have shown promise due to their rapid development timelines and adaptability to various pathogens. The investment in influenza vaccine research is critical, as the flu remains a global health challenge with significant economic implications due to healthcare costs and lost productivity. The success of Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine could revolutionize the annual flu vaccination process, offering potentially broader and more effective protection against various strains. The long-term impact of this could be substantial, reducing the burden of flu seasons and possibly impacting the stock market's perception of the biotech sector's growth potential.

Market Research Analyst

Blackstone's investment in Moderna represents a broader trend of increasing capital inflows into biotechnology, particularly in innovative sectors like mRNA vaccine development. This influx of capital is indicative of the market's appetite for high-risk, high-reward investments in the healthcare sector. As Moderna expands its pipeline, it's important to consider the competitive landscape of the flu vaccine market and how Moderna's mRNA technology may differentiate itself. The success of their flu program could capture significant market share, but it's also important to consider regulatory hurdles and market adoption rates. Analyzing the potential market size and penetration rates will be essential in projecting the financial impact of this collaboration on both Blackstone and Moderna.

Blackstone Life Sciences to invest up to $750 million to support innovative mRNA technology

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Blackstone (NYSE:BX) announced today a new collaboration with Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA, “Moderna”) through a development and commercialization funding agreement where funds managed by Blackstone Life Sciences (“Blackstone”) will provide up to $750 million to fund Moderna’s influenza (“flu”) program.

“Moderna has demonstrated a remarkable ability to impact human health through mRNA vaccines targeting respiratory illnesses. This landmark collaboration is another example of our long-standing strategy to partner with the world’s leading life science companies to advance their critical path vaccines, medicines and medical technologies to patients,” said Nicholas Galakatos, Ph.D., Global Head of Blackstone Life Sciences.

“Moderna is advancing a broad and diverse pipeline at a pace not seen before in our industry,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “Our goal is to launch multiple vaccine products in the next few years and deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines. Achieving this ambition requires substantial investment in late-stage studies and we are excited to welcome Blackstone and their innovative financing model.”

This new collaboration continues Blackstone Life Sciences’ work and support for many of the world’s leading and most innovative biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies. Blackstone seeks to provide customized financing solutions for companies across therapeutic areas to support mission critical scientific innovation and advance important products to patients.

About the Transaction

Under the terms of the agreement, funds managed by Blackstone Life Sciences will provide up to $750 million to fund Moderna’s flu program. If successful, BXLS will be eligible to receive milestones and royalties on resultant flu products. Moderna will recognize the funding as a reduction in research and development expenses and will retain full rights and control of the Company’s influenza program.

More information about Moderna’s flu program pipeline can be found in Moderna’s Vaccines Day press release – being announced concurrently this morning at: https://investors.modernatx.com/. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Blackstone Life Sciences

Blackstone Life Sciences is an industry-leading private investment platform with capabilities to invest across the life cycle of companies and products within the key life science sectors. By combining scale investments and hands-on operational leadership, Blackstone Life Sciences helps bring to market promising new medicines and medical technologies that improve patients’ lives and currently has more than $8 billion in assets under management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240327290051/en/

Blackstone

Paula Chirhart

Global Public Affairs

paula.chirhart@blackstone.com

(347) 463-5453

Source: Blackstone

What is the collaboration between Blackstone and Moderna about?

Blackstone Life Sciences is investing up to $750 million to fund Moderna's influenza program through a development and commercialization funding agreement.

Who is the Global Head of Blackstone Life Sciences?

Nicholas Galakatos, Ph.D., is the Global Head of Blackstone Life Sciences.

What is Moderna's goal with this collaboration?

Moderna aims to launch multiple vaccine products in the next few years and deliver significant impact through mRNA medicines.

What does Blackstone Life Sciences focus on in terms of financing?

Blackstone Life Sciences provides customized financing solutions for leading biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies to support scientific innovation and product advancement.