Building a Team of Innovators to Conquer COVID-19

• August 11, 2020

This week a Phase 3 clinical trial of the very promising COVID-19 vaccine known as mRNA-1273 began.

The vaccine, which was co-developed by the U.S. biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will involve approximately 30,000 adult volunteers who do not have COVID-19.

The “mRNA” stands for “messenger RNA,” and RNA is short for Ribonucleic acid, which is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids.

The mRNA-1273 vaccine signals the body’s cells to create a virus protein that hopefully will elicit an effective immune response in the patient.

Coronaviruses like COVID-19 are spherical and have spikes protruding from their surface, giving the particles a crown-like appearance. Kind of like how “stick tight” weeds adhere to your clothing, these spikes bind to human cells, allowing the virus to gain entry. Therefore, the vaccine was developed to target the spikes.

Lightning Quick Timeline

Knowledge gained from prior studies of viruses related to COVID-19 [which cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)] allowed both Moderna, Inc., and NIAID to fast track the development of the vaccine – as is shown by the below lightning-quick timeline:

1/11/2020 – Chinese authorities published the genetic sequence of COVID-19

1/13/2020 – Moderna’s and the NIH/ NIAID infectious disease research team finalized the sequence for mRNA-1273, and Moderna began to mobilize for production

2/7/2020 – The first clinical vaccine batch was completed and underwent analytical testing

2/24/2020 – The vaccine was shipped to NIH/ NIAID

3/16/2020 – Phase 1 trial of mRNA-1273 begins

5/29/2020 – Phase 2 trial of mRNA-1273 begins

7/27/2020 – Phase 3 trial of mRNA-1273 begins

There are three keys that enabled this unprecedented innovation development timeframe.

Key # 1 to the Development of the mRNA-1273 Vaccine – Expertise

Moderna used and built upon their expertise in advanced messenger RNA (mRNA) science to create a medication that was designed to elicit the body’s own cells to produce proteins that can result in the arresting of the COVID-19 virus.

Tal Zaks, Moderna’s chief medical officer stated that if the Phase 3 trial is successful the company will continue to use its knowledge in mRNA science, delivery technology, and manufacturing to provide the vaccine to the public on a large scale.

Just like Moderna understood and applied their expertise to try to solve the COVID-19 challenge, any company needs to assess its strengths with regards to innovation and play to those.

To be successful with innovation a company should perform an assessment to determine its core competencies. This includes identifying the unique capabilities of the business that could be leveraged to advantage in other markets, applications, and sectors. The goal is to work from an organization’s strengths and base of knowledge instead of starting from zero in an entirely new market about which nothing is known.

This is exactly what Corning did when it leveraged its knowledge in glass and related materials to create a product used for flat LCD displays (for cell phones initially, then laptops and desktop monitors, and lastly for LCD TVs and larger displays). This type of thinking led to major innovations that were developed in each of Corning’s business sectors, including the creation of four new product lines. These efforts turned the company around from having loses to huge profits.

Key # 2 to the Development of the mRNA-1273 Vaccine – Collaboration

Obviously, the development of the mRNA-1273 vaccine was a huge project that required collaboration between Moderna, Inc., the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, clinical trial resources, and many others.

If the Phase 3 trial is successful, cooperation and coordination with regulators, policymakers, investors, public health organizations, and governmental organization will be required for the commercialization of the vaccine. All of these are outside Moderna, so a collaboration mindset needed to be present throughout the project.

Likewise, keep in mind that for large innovation projects, you may need to collaborate with people, resources, and organizations outside your company.

Key # 3 to the Development of the mRNA-1273 Vaccine – Innovation Teams

Our company, Fountainhead Consulting Group, Inc., has several clients in the pharmaceutical industry and in discussing the development of the mRNA-1273 vaccine with them they shared it would have required expertise from the following areas:

• Infectious disease specialists
• Chemists
• Biologists
• DNA Experts
• Virologists
• Epidemiologists
• Pathologists
• Physicians
• Geneticists
• Statisticians
• Data scientists
• Quality Assurance personnel
• Regulatory authorities
• Production specialists

This means a true team approach would have been used by Moderna in executing this project. This concept is described as the creation of an Innovation Team.

But How Do You Create an Effective Innovation Team?

Numerous studies have shown that for innovation to be successful, it is imperative to utilize teams comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds. What’s more, noted innovation experts like Clayton Christensen stress that the 21st-century approach to innovation necessitates working in teams.

The utilization of cross functional/cross-departmental teams is an absolute key to bringing ideas to market, but how does one go about selecting the best team members for effectively developing innovations?

A study by Mills and Cameron found that curiosity and persistent interest are two of the best attributes to look for in choosing creative team members.

Other studies have revealed that team participants should also be selected on expertise, knowledge acquired through work activities, creative traits, and the ability to develop original and novel solutions to problems.

Research by Shalley and Oldham indicated that creating competition among groups that were comprised of skilled team members can enhance creativity, motivation, and innovation. Therefore, giving the same innovation assignment to two or more groups may be advantageous.

Applying This to Your Company or Organization

To ensure a successful outcome from any large innovation project, make sure to put in place the following three foundations.

First, perform an assessment to determine your core competencies and unique capabilities that can be leveraged to advantage in other markets, applications, and sectors. The goal is to work from an organization’s strengths and base of knowledge instead of starting from zero in an entirely new market about which nothing is known.

Second, keep in mind that for large innovation projects you may need to collaborate with people, resources, and organizations outside your company. So plan accordingly and establish those relationships.

Third, utilize cross functional/cross-departmental Innovation Teams comprised of members with diverse backgrounds. Choose individuals based upon their expertise, knowledge, curiosity, and mindset.

If you could use assistance with effectively applying these three innovation foundations in your company or organization, please contact us using the information below so we can be a resource to you in this crucial area.

Fountainhead Consulting Group, Inc. is an Innovation and Business Planning firm. During the past 17, years we have shown over 1,200 companies how to achieve their goals by using our unique, comprehensive, and systematic FastTrak Innovation Program™, Innovation Academy™, and  Structure of Success™ methodologies. Using the components in these methodologies, each month we examine an aspect of how to transform your business or organization into a true 21^st Century enterprise.

Office: (770) 642-4220

www.FountainheadConsultingGroup.com

George.Horrigan@FountainheadConsultingGroup.com