AstraZeneca initially invested in Moderna in 2013. With this most recent investment, the British drugmaker boosted its stake in the biotech to 9 percent.
Messenger RNA — which holds the recipe for making proteins in the body — could play a key role in addressing many hard-to-treat diseases like cancer, heart infections and kidney disorders.
Moderna is conducting two Phase I studies for infectious disease vaccines based on the mRNA and is awaiting approval to run a third study of a vascular disease treatment.
Along with AstraZeneca, Moderna also has strategic agreements with New Haven, Conn.-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, N.J.-based Merck and Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
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