In this episode, we bring in two guests to discuss the impact of professional advocacy and resulting professional advancements in the state of Illinois. These guests were the front-line agents of advocacy which resulted in pharmacists' ability to prescribe hormonal contraceptives for patients in Illinois (HB 135). We take a deep dive into their efforts to make this change possible, how it will impact patient care, and its implications on possibilities for further advancement of the pharmacy profession all the while highlighting the importance of professional advocacy.

In this episode, we interview Dr. Danyelle Martin, a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) at Moderna, in order to learn more about the what, how, and future of mRNA-based therapeutics, and what impact it can have on healthcare and healthcare professionals in general.

Key Concepts

1. Moderna has a “Research Engine” proprietary service that takes an mRNA idea from a web-based digital designer, to a digital ordering system, and finally to a production facility where mRNA constructs are synthesized and quality tested.
2. Pharmaceutics play a big role in the formulation of mRNA particles. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) play an important role for stability and delivery of mRNA cargo. After LNPs and mRNA are co-formulated, the product is purified, filtered, frozen, and subjected to a series of good manufacturing practice (GMP) tests to ensure product quality.
3. COVID-19 vaccines are a small glimpse into the potential future of mRNA-based therapeutics. Moderna’s pipeline includes mRNA vaccines for other viruses (including RSV, influenza, Zika and CMV) as well as therapeutics for non-viral diseases (including a personalized cancer vaccine and a VEGF-A mRNA molecule for myocardial ischemia).