Moderna has announced a strategic partnership with IBM to harness quantum computing and generative artificial intelligence technologies for advancing mRNA medicine discovery, marking the biotech company's latest investment in cutting-edge digital technologies following its COVID-19 vaccine success.
The collaboration focuses on gaining deeper insights into mRNA molecular behavior, developing refined molecular structures, and investigating improvements to lipid nanoparticles that deliver mRNA therapeutics in the body. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel emphasized the partnership's forward-looking approach, stating it will "prepare ourselves for the era of quantum computing, and ready our business for these game-changing technologies."
Quantum Computing's Growing Role in Pharmaceutical R&D
The partnership places Moderna among a select group of pharmaceutical companies embracing quantum computing for drug discovery. Biogen has been collaborating with Accenture and quantum software company 1Qbit to identify pharmacophores—the molecular features necessary for large drug molecules to recognize and bind to their targets. Similarly, Bayer recently partnered with Google to use quantum computing for predicting chemical and physical properties of drug molecules at the atomic scale.
According to a 2021 McKinsey report, implementing computer-aided drug design (CADD) on quantum computers could expand the range of molecules suitable for in silico design, reduce screening times, and more quickly identify research dead ends that typically add significant time and cost to the discovery phase.
Technical Applications and Advantages
Quantum computing offers distinct advantages over classical computer systems, particularly in investigating much larger molecules. Moderna's scientists plan to use the technology to address "previously intractable problems" in mRNA research. The quantum approach provides more contextual information about how, where, and why drug molecules bind to their targets.
Through IBM's Quantum Accelerator programme, Moderna will work to apply MolFormer—an AI system designed to predict molecular properties—to its discovery processes. This integration represents a significant step toward achieving what Bancel described as "breakthrough advances with quantum computing."
Strategic Investment in Future Technologies
The partnership reflects Moderna's commitment to building a "quantum-ready workforce" and investing in technologies that could transform pharmaceutical research. The company's substantial revenues from its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine have enabled these strategic investments in advanced technologies while building a broad pipeline across mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics.
The collaboration aligns with an increasing industry trend to apply digital technologies to pharmaceutical R&D processes, as companies seek to overcome the traditional challenges of drug development that can require years of work and billions of dollars in investment.
