After playing a critical role in developing new vaccine technology to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, all eyes are on mRNA and its massive potential in various other applications. At the 2023 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the Penn Center for Innovation held a panel with three industry professionals with close ties to mRNA technology to discuss the future of the technology and its unfettered potential in a rapidly evolving environment.
The panel, titled “The Future of mRNA Technology,” included the co-discoverer of mRNA technology and fundamental figure in developing Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, Katalin Kariko, Ph.D. Michael J. Mitchell, Ph.D., a drug delivery expert who worked alongside Moderna co-founder Robert Langer, also joined the panel. The third panel member was passionate scientist Laura Shawver, Ph.D., who is currently the CEO of a Penn State spinout company, Capstan Therapeutics. Renowned industry expert and Founding Managing Director of Westlake Village Partners, Beth Seidenberg, MD, moderated the panel.