Moderna CEO sees potential end of coronavirus pandemic on horizon, though says it will never be eradicated

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel on Wednesday said the end of the coronavirus pandemic could be on the horizon.

“I think that is a reasonable scenario,” he told CNBC when asked whether he thought the pandemic was winding down. “There’s an 80% chance that as omicron evolves or SarsCov-2 virus evolves, we are going to see less and less virulent viruses.”

Moderna along with Pfizer pioneered the use of mRNA vaccines against the novel coronavirus, greatly reducing the severity of infection in those who got the jab.

Likewise, the chances of a new mutation being more virulent than omicron are only at 20%, Bancel predicted. His remarks echoed those of public health experts who see omicron waning, and nothing taking its place for the moment.