Noubar Afeyan, co-founder and chairman of Moderna, is a major biotech investor through his company Flagship Pioneering.[1][4][6] At the STAT Summit in Boston, he declared that US policy was "taking a hammer to our miracle machine" in relation to attacks on science.[4] These attacks on Moderna and mRNA vaccines will not only go after vaccines, but will threaten the whole of medicine.[4] Afeyan warned that the substitution of opinion for fact is a warning sign of a wider attack on science and expertise.[4] Moderna was previously celebrated for helping with the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] Afeyan is the founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, which has developed more than 100 scientific projects valued at over $100 billion.[6] In January 2025, he received the National Medal for Technology and Innovation on behalf of Moderna.[1][3]