How Moderna Uses IBM Quantum Computing to Advance mRNA Medicine Development
Moderna partnered with IBM Quantum to explore quantum computing for mRNA sequence optimization, achieving record-breaking simulations of 60 nucleotide sequences on 80 qubits and advancing toward practical quantum advantage in drug development.
Impact
80
Qubits utilized in simulation
60
Nucleotide sequences simulated
156
Qubits applied in 2025 research
950
Non-local gates in circuit
Challenge
Moderna must identify optimal mRNA sequences from an astronomically large number of possibilities, ensuring molecular stability, protein encoding accuracy, and production viability. Classical computing reaches its limits with these computationally intensive combinatorial optimization problems in mRNA secondary structure prediction.
Solution
Partnered with IBM Quantum to apply variational quantum algorithms combined with CVaR risk-assessment techniques on IBM's Heron quantum processor, creating a hybrid quantum-classical computing approach for mRNA sequence optimization.
Tools & Technologies
What Leaders Say
“Our goal is to improve human health. We believe it's critical to explore every available tool—including quantum computing—to scale our progress today, rather than wait for technology to mature in future.”
“Collaborating with IBM gave us the opportunity to see what this quantum approach could do, rather than waiting for it to show up and then have to rush to understand it.”
“The world will see the first examples of quantum advantage by 2026, provided quantum and high-performance computing communities work together adopting the technology.”
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Full Story
Moderna, the biotechnology company behind the Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine, faces an extraordinary computational challenge in developing new mRNA medicines. The company must identify optimal mRNA sequences from an astronomically large number of possibilities to treat diseases — ensuring sequences accurately encode target proteins, maintain molecular stability, achieve sufficient production quantities, and avoid triggering immune responses.
Classical computing reaches its limits with these computationally intensive optimization problems, particularly in understanding mRNA secondary structure prediction which involves solving complex combinatorial optimization problems. Recognizing this limitation, Moderna partnered with IBM Quantum to explore how quantum computing could accelerate their research.
The collaboration combines variational quantum algorithms with Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR), a risk-assessment technique borrowed from finance, to improve algorithm performance. This hybrid quantum-classical approach focuses optimization on lower-energy solutions with minimal computational overhead, using instantaneous quantum polynomial circuit-based quantum optimization for efficient resource utilization.
In 2024, the team set records by simulating 60 nucleotide sequences using 80 qubits on IBM's Heron processor — surpassing the previous record of 42 nucleotides. By 2025, they applied 156 qubits with circuits containing 950 non-local gates, demonstrating one of the largest and most advanced variational quantum algorithm executions on quantum hardware. The results successfully matched those of commercial classical solvers, validating the quantum approach for real-world pharmaceutical applications.