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Meeting Highlights:
- Innovation and Impact: Emphasizing the importance of delivering innovative solutions to those in need, positively transforming lives. Tarek's role in making these innovations available across the region
- Collaboration with Governments: Strengthening partnerships with governmental entities to achieve shared goals.
- Developing Successful Local Partnerships across the Middle East Success Stories: Collaboration with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals as a key local partner in Saudi Arabia.
- Expanding mRNA Technology: Exploring applications of mRNA technology beyond vaccines, showcasing Moderna's advancements.
- Key Innovations: Development of RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines, Rare Diseases, and Advancements in personalized cancer treatments.
- Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030: Aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global biotech hub by fostering innovation and investment.
- Biotech and Beyond: The Kingdom's strategic emphasis on biotechnology and life sciences is set to attract global partnerships and drive economic diversification.
- mRNA Access Program: Enabling local researchers to utilize Moderna's platform to advance research and innovation.
- Shared Purpose: Aligning public and private sector efforts to achieve common objectives through robust partnerships.
EF: Imagine yourself addressing world leaders at Davos. What message would you share about the importance of health?
TF: Public health is a major concern for governments worldwide. Many are working to improve health outcomes and increase life expectancy, particularly for high-risk individuals and the elderly. At the same time, companies like Moderna are introducing innovative technologies based on mRNA, which have potential beyond vaccines—extending into oncology, rare diseases, and more. Partnerships between governments and industries are crucial to achieving shared goals: reaching the right people, treating tough diseases, preventing them, and improving overall health outcomes.
Public Private Partnerships are vital for addressing healthcare challenges. For instance, during vaccination campaigns or ensuring supply chain efficiency, collaboration with governments helps make vaccines accessible to those who need them most. We’re also exploring ways to expand public-private partnerships further across the region to maximize impact.
EF: Beyond vaccines, how do you see the acceptance of mRNA technology?
TF: Moderna has demonstrated mRNA’s effectiveness during the pandemic. This proof of concept opens doors for applications beyond respiratory vaccines into areas like oncology and rare diseases. Governments recognize the potential of mRNA to transform healthcare outcomes across diverse fields.
Moderna is bringing forward its vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which has received approval in markets in the Middle East, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, we are developing an investigational combination vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza. This approach is pivotal for the populations we aim to support, and it is currently under regulatory review by multiple authorities worldwide.
We are also researching vaccines against latent viruses such as cytomegalovirus and rare diseases. We also have initiatives in personalized cancer treatments. Moderna's pipeline includes over 40 programs exploring the potential of messenger RNA across various therapeutic areas.
EF: Your role spans commercial alliances across Europe and the Middle East. What opportunities are you identifying in the Middle East?
TF: My role focuses on expanding Moderna’s reach and ensuring our innovations impact wider populations. This began during the pandemic but continues with our broader pipeline in respiratory and other fields. Strategizing with local partners in key markets ensures that our technology reaches those who need it most. Saudi Arabia stands out as our biggest strategic market in the region, but we’re also engaging with other governments excited about collaboration opportunities with Moderna.
In Saudi Arabia, we’ve partnered with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals to bring our innovations locally. Additionally, we collaborate with other reputable partners in the region who share a similar purpose with Moderna. These collaborations aim to foster mutual benefits while prioritizing patients who will use these innovations at the end of the day.
EF: How does Saudi Arabia fit into Moderna’s strategy for the Middle East?
TF: Saudi Arabia is a strategic market for us. The Kingdom is an ideal location for clinical research and innovation, especially when it comes to addressing rare diseases. We are actively collaborating with local entities like Tabuk Pharmaceuticals to accelerate progress, but also with local research centers in Saudi Arabia and the region.
Vision 2030 aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for biotech and advanced healthcare. The Ministry of Health’s national strategy for elderly health aligns closely with our goals. We see opportunities to collaborate on vaccination campaigns for the elderly and introduce innovations like respiratory vaccines, including RSV, influenza, and the mRNA 1083 combination vaccine.
EF: Could you elaborate on the importance of partnerships in Saudi Arabia?
TF: Partnerships are crucial for accelerating innovation. Our collaboration with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals brings expertise, access, and connections with government entities to ensure streamlined regulatory compliance, pharmacovigilance, market access, and procurement processes. Our mRNA Access program also enables local researchers to utilize our platform for clinical studies addressing regional health challenges such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
One example is our partnership with Dr. Abdullah Algaissi, an assistant professor of biology in Saudi Arabia who received the Global Moderna Fellowship Award. Through this collaboration, we support his research on MERS—a coronavirus prevalent in the region. Moreover, we have signed a memorandum of understanding with the King Abdullah Medical Research Centre to further strengthen ties between academia and industry in Saudi Arabia.
In our research, we aim to conduct clinical trials in the Kingdom focusing on rare diseases and drug discovery. These partnerships span local pharmaceutical companies and extend internationally, reflecting Moderna's commitment to innovation. Our team is devoted to building these collaborations and ensuring innovations reach a broader audience across various therapeutic areas.
EF: AI is revolutionizing how people work. Could you elaborate on how is Moderna leveraging AI?
TF: AI is deeply embedded across Moderna’s operations. It allows us to optimize mRNA sequencing, enhance supply chain efficiency, aid diversity in clinical trials, and improve manufacturing precision—especially in areas like oncology research. We’re proud of AI solutions, including our collaboration with OpenAI, which have rapidly integrated into our processes to drive innovation at scale.
EF: Shifting gears towards your leadership style, how do you keep your team engaged and committed to Moderna's vision and mission?
TF: At Moderna, we are always driven by a shared purpose that is deeply aligned with the company’s mission statement. We focus on leveraging messenger RNA technology to produce medicines that impact people's lives. When a team shares this vision and purpose, it becomes easier to keep them engaged.
Working for a biotech company that transitioned to commercial operations during the pandemic—and is now expanding—requires a very special team. I feel blessed to work with my team, not only as a leader for the Middle East region but also as someone proud of what the team is trying to accomplish. We consistently remind each other of our shared purpose to ensure we achieve our goals.
EF: Reflecting on your career, what are you most proud of during your tenure at Moderna?
TF: Working at Moderna during the pandemic was the most meaningful experience of my career. Ensuring vaccine access to protect people was deeply fulfilling. The pandemic highlighted the transformative potential of mRNA technology, which continues to evolve medicine beyond COVID-19 into areas like influenza and RSV. I’m proud to have contributed during such a critical time while helping build the company’s future pipeline and geographical expansion.
At Moderna, we share a unified purpose aligned with our mission—bringing innovative solutions to patients worldwide. This shared commitment inspires our team daily, fostering collaboration and dedication to achieving impactful results for communities globally.
EF: Do you have any final message or anything you'd like to highlight?
TF: It’s crucial for governments in the Middle East and biotech companies to prioritize public-private partnerships. Regulatory clarity is essential for aligning efforts and fostering collaboration—not only with local companies like Tabuk but also with governments.
I believe in partnerships rather than traditional buyer-seller relationships. Partners share common goals and objectives, and with a mutual willingness to accelerate progress, they can achieve incredible results together. Let’s continue working together toward shared goals while accelerating innovations for those who need them most.
