Drug Discovery
While the application of data and AI holds the potential to transform and revolutionize many industries, nowhere are the life and death consequences so great as in the worlds of pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medicine. Just ask Brad Miller, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Moderna. Brad is passionate about the potential to leverage data, AI, and technology to make a difference in quality and longevity of life. Having risen through the ranks and then operated at the highest c-executive levels for companies at the forefront and on the leading edge of data, AI, and technology, including Microsoft, Amazon as General Manager/e-Commerce Platform, Citi as Head of Global Digital and Cloud Technology, Mastercard as EVP of Operations and Technology, and most recently as EVP and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Capital One, Miller feels that he has been given a once in a career opportunity to apply his experience in data and AI systems leadership for the potential good of mankind. Miller comments, “There's no greater synergy for me than to bring myself to Moderna.”
Moderna is a Cambridge, MA based biotech company that made a name for itself in 2020 upon releasing one of the first COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Founded a decade earlier, in 2010, Moderna has been pioneering a new class of medicines — made of messenger RNA, or mRNA. The potential implications of using mRNA as a drug are far-reaching and could meaningfully improve how medicines are discovered, developed, and manufactured. Using messenger RNA, Moderna was able to take a coronavirus vaccine from sequencing to human trials in just 63 days. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has noted, “Messenger RNA is similar to computer technology in several ways that offer promise for lowering costs”. He continues, “We call mRNA the software of life. You can copy and paste the information into a lot of drugs by using the same technology. The way we make mRNA for one vaccine is the exact same way we make mRNA for another vaccine”. Moderna believes mRNA can be used to create a new category of medicines that have significant potential to improve the lives of patients.
Digital transformation, data, and AI are central functions of Moderna’s operating vision. CIO Miller comments, “For us it goes beyond our operations and extends to our entire value chain, from R&D to commercialization”. Miller explains, “For over a decade, Moderna has built a massive library of data, which is our biggest asset as a digital-first biotech company. This library has allowed us to create our own integrated, proprietary data ecosystem and to create structure out of all data sources, and fuel and iterate upon our algorithms with consistency and precision”. Central to Moderna’s strategy is the integration of AI. Miller notes, “Our mission at Moderna is to impact as many people as possible with mRNA medicines. Moderna invests in AI because of the profound impact it has had, and continues to have, on the lives of patients — speed to impact.” Miller continues, “We have seen firsthand the impact AI can have on our ability to develop new classes of medicines, and we continue to use AI to support our robust pipeline of mRNA medicines that span therapeutics”.
In his role as CIO at Moderna, Brad Miller is heavily focused on incorporating AI into business processes across the organization. Miller notes, “It's my business partners that are driving all our use cases for the utilization of our capabilities. Our job is to help them be educated on the use of AI, including examples of use cases that we see that are novel in the industry, examples that are novel outside the industry, and then bring these to my business leaders”. He continues, “From a systems perspective, ownership resides with the CIO, but from an adoption and use perspective, we have a shared goal across the company. Stephane, our CEO is the number one advocate for AI, as we really see that AI has been, and will continue to be, the way in which we will transform our company”. Miller adds, “It started well before me coming here and given that we've been a data company since day one and with mRNA, we're doing things differently than much of the biotech and pharma industry”.
Moderna’s objective is to integrate AI into all aspects of the drug development life cycle. Moderna has launched the Moderna AI Academy to accelerate training on AI at all levels of the organization. Miller comments, “Implementing AI use cases across our value chain, from research to manufacturing to commercialization, allows us to create better medicines and optimize the speed at which we bring mRNA medicines to market.” He explains, “The informational nature of mRNA lends itself well to drug design and optimization of algorithms. AI helps us identify the optimal sequences for mRNA and proteins that generate the desired response within the body. For example, our Individualized Neoantigen Therapy (INT) program leverages a series of fully autonomous, integrated AI algorithms to design one therapy for one patient. AI algorithms are also used to optimize the timely manufacture and delivery of INT to the patient.” A recent study on Moderna by The Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard University notes, “AI can lift success rates to up to 50%, while reducing time-to-market.”
The Moderna AI Academy was launched in late 2021 under Moderna Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) Tracey Franklin to build AI capabilities and skills across the entire Moderna organization, regardless of level. Brad Miller notes, “The AI Academy is open to all employees, regardless of level, so as to democratize AI upskilling across the organization. We now offer six different performance learning tracks, ranging from a quick introduction to ChatGPT technologies to a masterclass on developing complex AI use cases.” Embracing AI is key to enhancing workforce value within Moderna. Miller continues, “There is a proliferation of digital and AI tools available to disrupt the way we currently work and enable new ways to work. We know that successful AI implementation means putting employees at its center. It requires an intentional cultural transformation and a mindset shift around how each employee approaches their work.” Today, the Moderna AI Academy is functioning as an innovation incubator for AI capability, projects, and ideas across the organization.
Expanding upon the importance of organizational culture, Miller emphasizes the centrality of AI to the culture within Moderna. He comments, “We foster a strong AI-centric culture and democratize generative AI so that every employee can feel its value in their day-to-day work. Where traditional operating models require large workforces as business scales, real-time AI companies scale the value of their people.” These were lessons that Miller absorbed during his tenure at Amazon and in subsequent roles with industry innovators. He continues, “Moderna is aiming to deliver 15 products in five years, a feat that requires a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. Rather than accepting the seemingly inevitable complexity that comes with growth, we embrace and democratize AI so that every employee can create value measured by efficiency and efficacy.” Miller adds, “Today, our workforce of around 5,000 individuals performs at a level equivalent to 50,000 individuals — thanks to AI.”
Looking ahead to what the future may hold for Moderna, Miller observes, “Moderna is on a journey to becoming a real-time AI company where we embed AI into every aspect of our organization. We’ve made significant progress.” He continues, “Our goals for 2024 are centered on our crusade to be secure for our patients and our customers, to differentiate and deliver on our business goals, and to advance our use of machine learning and generative AI”. Reflecting on his role with Moderna as the culmination of over two and half decades of work with data and AI across industries for highly innovative companies, Miller concludes, “When you get a Moderna vaccine, you're not actually getting medicines. We're giving you code and instructions for your body to perform an action to create proteins that then can defend itself. That is pretty analogous to computer science!”
