Moderna CEO Calls Pandemic Final Stage a "Plausible Scenario"

Screenshot of an interview with Moderna CEO St?phane Bancel [Source: CNBC]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] St?phane Bancel, CEO of the U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna, stated on the 16th (local time) that the COVID-19 pandemic is approaching its final stage.

CEO Bancel appeared on CNBC Squawk Box Asia that day and responded to the question, "Could this be the final stage of the COVID-19 pandemic?" by saying, "I think it is a reasonable scenario."

He said, "There is an 80% possibility that less deadly variant viruses will emerge as the virus evolves, such as Omicron," and "a 20% scenario is that a more deadly variant than Omicron will appear."

He also mentioned, "I think it was fortunate that Omicron was not very deadly," but added, "However, we still see thousands of people dying daily from Omicron worldwide." According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15.47 million new cases were reported globally in the past seven days, with 73,162 deaths during the same period.

CEO Bancel said, "This virus will not completely disappear," and "It will be with people forever like the flu, and we have to live with it."

Moderna began clinical trials in January this year to verify whether the COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the Omicron variant. The trial involves 600 adults aged 18 and over, divided into two groups, with specific booster shots administered.

Separately, Moderna also announced plans to enter the Asian market.

CEO Bancel explained, "The reason we want to expand in Asia is because of the region's importance." He said, "I am very excited," and announced plans to establish subsidiaries in Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.