As for the quadrupling of the US’s discount price, Bancel argued that the simple bulk orders for the government were wholly different in nature than the messiness of the commercial market—and that messiness costs extra. During the pandemic, Moderna dealt with one customer (the government) that committed to paying for a set number of doses regardless of whether they made it into arms. And the company delivered those doses to a limited number of federal warehouses. Now, it will have thousands of customers, requiring the company to deal with complex distribution logistics, and to take on the financial risk of manufacturing more doses than are purchased. Moderna will also switch from selling multi-dose vials to single-dose vials, which it sees as more suited for the commercial market. “This is not the same product,” Bancel argued, and the quadrupled price reflects that, he suggested.
In the article linked in that opening paragraph about his testimony, HE MADE THE CASE FOR SINGLE PAYER. Clearly and unequivocally.