Ray Jordan
Ray Jordan

Ray Jordan, who held top PR jobs at Amgen, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, has joined biotech firm Moderna, which has developed the first US COVID-19 vaccine to post positive trial results.

He will take the chief corporate affairs officer slot.

Jordan was previously senior VP, corporate affairs at Amgen, where he was responsible for all internal and external communications, issues management and philanthropy. Prior to joining Amgen, he was VP of public affairs and corporate communication for Johnson & Johnson, and has also served as VP of communications and information at Pfizer.

“His strategic communications and management experience at global commercial biopharmaceutical companies will be a tremendous asset as we continue into late-stage commercial development of our COVID-19 vaccine and our CMV vaccine,” said Moderna chief executive officer Stéphane Bancel.

Moderna has strategic alliances with Merck, AstraZeneca, Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which is part of the Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Israel is in advanced discussions with Moderna to buy its vaccine, which will begin a test trial of 30,000 volunteers next month.