Moderna

Performance indicators

2021: Revenue growth 23 times, to $18.5 billion

At the end of 2021, Moderna's revenue grew 23 times, to $18.5 billion. In 2020, the figure was $803 million.

The bulk of the biotech company's revenue was brought by the COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine . In 2021, Moderna managed to sell 807 million doses of the drug, which brought it $17.7 billion. In 2020, sales of products accounted for $200 million. Revenues from subsidies in 2021 reached $735 million, while a year earlier they amounted to $529 million. Revenue from joint projects reached $61 million, in 2020 the figure was $74 million.

Moderna's net profit for 2021 amounted to $12.2 billion, in 2020 the company reported a loss of $747 million.

Moderna revenue increased 23 times at the end of 2021

In 2021, 25% of all 807 million doses sold were sent to low- and middle-income countries. Moderna has experienced exponential growth, the company has more than doubled the size of the staff, the global team at the end of 2021 consists of 3000. Moderna intends to increase the number of commercial subsidiaries worldwide to 2021, including four new offices in Asia and six new offices in Europe, which will help further expand the industry-leading mRNA portfolio with 44 programs under development.

Research and development costs amounted to $2.0 billion for the whole of 2021, compared with $1.4 billion in 2020. The increase in costs in 2021 was mainly due to an increase in funding for clinical trials, staff costs, as well as consulting and external services, largely due to the development of a vaccine and an increase in the number of personnel.

Commercial, general and administrative expenses amounted to $567 million for the whole of 2021, compared to $188 million in 2020. The increase in expenses in 2021 was mainly due to an increase in consulting and external services, personnel costs, marketing and negotiations with distributors.^[1]

History

2025: Dismissal of 10% of employees

The American biotech company Moderna has decided to cut approximately 10% of staff worldwide as part of a program to reduce operating costs amid falling revenues from vaccine sales. COVID-19 The company's total headcount will fall to less than 5,000 by the end of 2025, which means about 500 workers will be laid off. The decision is part of a plan to reduce operating costs by $1.5 billion by 2027. This was announced by the CEO of the company Stefan Bancel on July 31, 2025.

According to Moderna, the company has made every possible effort to prevent mass layoffs, including reducing research and development, renegotiating supplier agreements and reducing production costs. Bancel noted in an internal memo that the reorganization of the operating structure became critical to maintaining the company's focus and financial discipline.

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Фото: Reuters

The CEO stressed that the company has made significant progress in reducing research and development costs as respiratory clinical trials are completed. The revision of contracts with suppliers and the reduction of production costs also contributed to the optimization of financial indicators.

Bancel stated that the future of Moderna remains promising, since the company already has three approved products, and eight more drugs are planned in the next three years. In May 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the company's third product, the next-generation COVID-19 vaccine.

Moderna shares have lost more than 20% of their value since the beginning of 2025, reflecting a decline in the company's investment attractiveness amid falling demand for coronavirus vaccines. In May, the company released its first-quarter financial results, which came in below Wall Street analysts' forecasts.^[2]

2023: Purchase of OriCiro Genomics

In early January 2023, Moderna announced the purchase of Japanese DNA supplier OriCiro Genomics K.K. for $85 million. Read more here.

2022: CFO leaves Moderna

On May 11, 2022, Moderna reported that its chief financial officer, Jorge Gomez, had left his post a day after his former employer, Dentsply Sirona, reported an internal investigation related to the financial statements. Gomez's appointment was announced in April 2022 and it took effect on May 9, 2022. Read more here.

2021: AstraZeneca sells its stake in Moderna for $1.2bn

In early March 2021, it became known that the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca sold its stake in the biotechnology company Moderna for an amount estimated at $1.2 billion. Details of the deal were not disclosed.

AstraZeneca and Moderna are developers of highly efficient, coronavirus vaccines using various technologies: AstraZeneca vaccine based on chimpanzee adenovirus, and Moderna's drug uses template RNA. coronavirus Earlier, Moderna announced that in 2021 it plans to supply 700 million doses of its vaccine for a total of $18.4 billion.

AstraZeneca sold its stake in Moderna for $1.2 billion

According to the Times, AstraZeneca got rid of its 7.7% stake in Moderna. At the same time, companies intend to maintain joint programs in areas not related to the development of vaccines against coronavirus. AstraZeneca, which developed its COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with Oxford University, sells it on a non-profit basis, unlike the Moderna vaccine. However, in the future, if the virus becomes endemic, AstraZeneca may sell its COVID-19 vaccine on a commercial basis.

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine was approved by US regulators back in December 2020 for emergency use against COVID-19. AstraZeneca is understood to have taken advantage of a surge in Moderna's share price to fund the acquisition of US-based Alexion, which creates drugs to treat complex and rare diseases. The acquisition of Alexion is estimated at $39 billion and should be closed in the third quarter of 2021. At the same time, AstraZeneca sold Moderna shares not even at the peak of their value.^[3]

Notes