IKNA vs MRNA

Ikena Oncology Inc.

Ikena Oncology, Inc., a targeted oncology company, focuses on developing novel cancer therapies targeting key signaling pathways that drive the formation and spread of cancer. Its lead targeted oncology product candidate is IK-930, an oral small molecule inhibitor of the transcriptional enhanced associate domain, transcription factor in the Hippo signaling pathway. It is also developing a small molecule inhibitor program against ERK5 in the RAS signaling pathway; IK-175, a selective AHR antagonist; IK-412, a recombinant human kynurenine-degrading enzyme; and IK-007, an oral selective EP4 receptor antagonist for the treatment of microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Moderna Inc.

Moderna, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops therapeutics and vaccines based on messenger RNA for the treatment of infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and auto-immune diseases. As of March 9, 2021, the company had 13 programs in clinical trials and a total of 24 development programs in six modalities comprising prophylactic vaccines, cancer vaccines, intratumoral immuno-oncology, localized regenerative therapeutics, systemic secreted and cell surface therapeutics, and systemic intracellular therapeutics. The company has strategic alliances with AstraZeneca PLC, Merck & Co., Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Limited, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Moderna, Inc. also has collaborations with Lonza Ltd. for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine; and Catalent Inc., Laboratorios Farmacéuticos Rovi, S.A., Recipharm, and Lonza Group for fill-finish manufacturing of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, as well as Aldevron, LLC for supporting COVID-19 vaccine and additional programs in company's clinical development pipeline. The company was formerly known as Moderna Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name to Moderna, Inc. in August 2018. Moderna, Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.