Everest Medicines Poaches Moderna mRNA Cancer Vaccine Experts to…

Event summary

Everest Medicines appointed Lakshmi Srinivasan, PhD, as Senior Vice President, Head of Translational Medicine, and Brandon Coder, PhD, as Vice President, Translational Sciences & Discovery, both from Moderna.
The hires aim to strengthen Everest's global R&D capabilities in mRNA therapeutics, particularly in cancer vaccines.
Everest plans to launch a Phase 1b investigator-initiated trial of EVM16 in Q4 2026 and submit a U.S. IND application for EVM16 in early 2027.
EVM14 Phase 1 study completion is expected in Q1 2027, following FDA and NMPA IND clearances in 2025.

The big picture

Everest Medicines is positioning itself as a key player in the mRNA therapeutics space, particularly in cancer vaccines, by leveraging talent from Moderna. The appointments come as the company advances its proprietary AI+mRNA platform and seeks to compete with established players in the oncology market. The strategic hires underscore Everest's commitment to global innovation and its ambition to become a leader in mRNA-based cancer treatments.

What we're watching

Pipeline Acceleration: Whether the new leadership can expedite the development of Everest's mRNA cancer vaccine pipeline, particularly EVM16 and EVM14.
Global Expansion: The pace at which Everest can expand its presence in the United States while maintaining strong R&D capabilities in China.
Regulatory Success: How Everest will navigate the regulatory landscape for its mRNA therapeutics, given the upcoming IND submissions and clinical trials.