Competition Heats Up in mRNA Vaccine Technology

The race to innovate mRNA vaccine technology is accelerating, as nations and companies worldwide compete to secure vaccine sovereignty. This technology has emerged as a critical tool in protecting health, particularly in the fight against the virus,
COVID-19, and future pandemics. In response to emerging health threats, mRNA innovation is seen as a breakthrough for preventing not just infectious diseases, but also cancer and rare ailments.

The Potential of mRNA Vaccines

The mRNA technique provides a genetic material that informs the body on how to make a protein. The vaccinated human body creates an antibody protein to fight a virus. Developing an mRNA vaccine platform allows for the rapid design and production of various vaccines, just by incorporating viral genetic information.

A Race to the Future

Last year BioNTech established the groundwork; the company signed a deal with the USA to develop up to $176 million in financial aid and Moderna has also added around 40 additional vaccines.

“We have already developed a lot of vaccines for protective vaccines and drugs that use the mRNA platforms” says Nam Jae-hwan, a professor of life science at the Catholic University.

The US, Germany, Japan, and China are leading the development, BioNTech has already created a vaccine for COVID-19 within 11 months from the virus’s isolation.
Meanwhile these countries hesitate to support startups BioBeginer is working on the AVAIN vaccine.

The Korean government is committed to developing its own mRNA vaccine platform by 2028, aiming for clinical trials by 2025. It will then leverage this platform to create and distribute stable vaccines against any future infectious diseases.

Challenges in Korea

The Korean government has allocated 25.4 billion won for this effort, but companies face significant challenges in securing clinical trials and funding. Despite this, domestic companies are enthusiastic and making strides, even partnering with international companies. However, these efforts have slowed due to the high costs of clinical trials and competition with global corporations.

Nam recently pointed out “The need for tech relics is essentially based on the concept of quick deployment in case a pandemic situation develops”.