Coursework

Sample Work: Organizational Change Announcement for Case Study

To: Moderna Employees

From: X, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

Date: September 29, 2020

Subject: Promotion of our colleague X

Dear team,

I am pleased to announce that X has been promoted to Director of Corporate Communications. X spent the last year working as the Senior Manager of Corporate Communications. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing internal and external communications. The following people will now report to X:

X, Corporate Communications Manager
X, Corporate Communications Specialist
X, Corporate Communications Specialist

X's promotion comes after her tireless efforts handling communications around the development and commercialization of mRNA-1273 the past several months. During that time, her leadership was a compelling factor in our ability to live up to our mission of “delivering on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients.”

X's first task in her new position will be to lead the process of conducting employee touchpoints, mentioned by CEO Stéphane Bancel, in the coming quarters.

X's passion for the medical field is evident in her experience. Before coming to Moderna in 2019, she worked for three years as the Public Relations and Communications Manager for Abiomed. Prior to that, she worked at AcademyHealth as the Senior Manager for Marketing.

X is in the process of acquiring her Master of Business Administration at Johns Hopkins University where she also earned her bachelor’s in political science in 2009. Another example of her diligence is her involvement with the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University where she volunteers to assist up-and-coming communications professionals.

Please join me in congratulating X. I have no doubt her leadership will yield unparalleled success.

Thank you,

Sample Work: Executive Message for Case Study

To: Moderna Colleagues

From: Stéphane Bancel

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020

Subject: A Word of Gratitude

Dear Team,

I want to take this opportunity to reach each and every one of you in appreciation for your hard work and resilience these past several months. Everyone here at Moderna has worked hard to ensure a successful launch of our new mRNA vaccine.

As we’ve all experienced firsthand, COVID-19 struck the world in a way no one saw coming. Led by our sense of societal responsibility and curiosity, we turned what appeared to be an impossible challenge into the opportunity of a lifetime. We’ve done what usually takes eight to 10 years in less than one year: that’s how we do business!

Consider what we accomplished together in nine months:

Completed a design of the vaccine using mRNA and digital technology.
Filed a New Drug Application.
Approved by the FDA to be on the Fast-Track process for the production of the vaccine.
Communicated key information about the distribution process and kept all relevant stakeholders informed.
Impacted the world in a way that has never been done before.

Our mission states that we strive to “deliver on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients,” and that is just what we did.

The welfare of employees is of great importance to the Executive Committee and me. Over the next few quarters, we will be conducting surveys and employee touchpoints, checking in to see how you are doing and how we can support you. I want to make clear to all of you my commitment to making your well-being a priority because we are a team.

I give my heartfelt thanks to each one of you, for without you our success would not have been possible. I am honored to work with you. I look forward to the day when we can all reunite face-to-face. Until then, let’s continue to make the world a better place.

Thank you,

Stéphane

Sample Work: Press Release for Case Study

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FDA approves Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for COVID-19

Distribution to begin after 10 months of development

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Oct. 13, 2020) – Moderna Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines to create a new generation of transformative medicine, today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 for all adults 18 and older. This comes after the New Drug Administration (NDA) approved Moderna’s request for Fast Track designation of mRNA-1273 earlier this year.

“We are grateful for the contributions of so many inside and outside the Company who have helped us reach this important milestone. We are especially indebted to those who participated in the clinical trials,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna. “The past 10 months have included relentless efforts to live up to our mission of delivering on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for you, our patients.”

More than 1,900 participants took part in the three phases of trial testing. In the final stage of testing, some participants exhibited symptoms of COVID-19. Clinical data from trial periods revealed that Moderna’s proprietary vaccine technology was generally well-tolerated throughout each of the three phases. No participants reported any serious adverse events up through Day 57. The most common solicited adverse events were headache, fatigue, myalgia, chills, and pain at the injection site, the majority of which were mild-to-moderate in severity and of self-limited duration. Based on the successful completion of studies, the FDA approved the vaccine.

Clinical data demonstrate that Moderna’s proprietary vaccine technology has been generally well-tolerated and can elicit durable immune responses to viral antigens. The Company also believes that it has demonstrated the ability to leverage shared technology, digital systems and its flexible manufacturing infrastructure to advance a large portfolio quickly and efficiently.

Moderna was able to develop a vaccine in record time with help from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development (BARDA). “Vaccines are a critical tool for saving lives and stopping the spread of pandemics like COVID-19,” said BARDA Acting Director Gary L. Disbrow, Ph.D. “Our goal was to produce a vaccine as quickly as possible. We accomplished this, in partnership with Moderna, through our advanced stage clinical trials and production scale-up.”

To support patient education, Moderna is releasing educational materials regarding the creation of this vaccine. Information is on the website’s mRNA Technology page.

Moderna is working with pharmacies, including Costco and CVS, to make the vaccine as accessible as possible. Health workers are required to undergo information sessions before administering vaccines to patients.

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