Full support for mRNA vaccine development in preparation for pandemic
There are companies with domestic technology, but they are stagnant… Target for technology completion by 2028
Last June, Robert Redfield, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appeared on an American news channel and told a story that shocked the world. It was a warning that a terrifying infectious disease that would kill one in two people if infected would soon become widespread.
The COVID-19 death rate, which caused panic around the world, was 0.6%. Infectious diseases with an incomparable mortality rate of up to 50% will threaten humanity.
The former CDC director’s warning is echoed by experts around the world. An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “Experts around the world have been warning about the possibility of a COVID-19-level pandemic within 10 years,” and added, “As a result of a survey of 187 infectious disease experts from 57 countries, we predicted that the likelihood of an influenza pandemic would be the greatest.”
In particular, experts are paying attention to avian influenza. Over the past few years, as the number of cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) infection has increased in mammals other than birds, the risk of new mutations that can spread between humans is also increasing. Recently, in the United States, following the spread of avian influenza infection between dairy cows, four cases of the virus spreading from dairy cows to humans were reported as of September.
The problem is that when a person is infected with avian influenza, the fatality rate is high. An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “As of last September, A(H5N1) human infection occurred in 909 people around the world, of which 464 died, resulting in a mortality rate of 51%.” “It is predicted that % will be infected and the number of seriously ill patients will reach approximately 290,000,” he said.
Countries around the world that have already experienced COVID-19 have begun to focus on finding ways to end the pandemic early if it comes again. The answer was found quickly. This is because in the process of responding to COVID-19, it has been proven that the vaccine reduces mortality and prevents seriousness.
An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “What came to mind here is the mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine.” He added, “If you develop a vaccine using traditional methods, it takes 1 to 2 years, but if you have mRNA vaccine technology, the development speed can be dramatically shortened to 3 to 6 months.” Therefore, securing this technology has become important,” he explained.
mRNA contains the genetic information for the spike protein of the virus and plays a role in teaching the cells in our body how to make spikes.
To put it simply, there is a spike protein on the surface of the virus that is responsible for penetrating into human cells. mRNA vaccines form immunity by injecting mRNA that causes the same spike protein as the virus to be produced on the surface of cells in the body.
Therefore, unlike existing vaccines that inject the virus directly into the body, mRNA vaccines are faster and safer because they inject mRNA containing the genetic information of the virus and the body produces antibody proteins that fight the virus through an immune response. There is.
It’s not just infectious diseases. Once the main technological foundation for mRNA vaccine development is established, it can be expanded to include cancer vaccines and rare disease treatments.
An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “Theoretically, mRNA can encode and produce all types of proteins, so it is possible to develop treatments for proteins that could not be used to create treatments.” He added, “It is widely used in developing treatments for infectious diseases, cancer vaccines, AIDS, and autoimmune diseases. “We believe it will also be possible to utilize it,” he said.
He also said, “Because it is a treatment based on genetic information, we can quickly derive a candidate material if we only know the genetic information.” He added, “For example, in the case of Moderna and Pfizer, they used mRNA technology during the COVID-19 pandemic to treat the coronavirus in about 16 weeks.” 19 The initial development of the vaccine was successful,” he said.
This vaccine technology capability is also linked to national competitiveness. This is because countries that quickly have vaccines can minimize damage from infectious diseases. Even during COVID-19, many countries faced uncertainty over vaccine supply and demand due to the country-first policy, such as export restrictions from vaccine producing countries.
Accordingly, countries around the world, keenly aware of the need for ‘vaccine sovereignty’, began to invest in next-generation mRNA vaccine innovation technology with the goal of ‘developing a vaccine within 100 days of the outbreak of the pandemic’.
Japan and China already succeeded in developing an mRNA vaccine last year and are building an mRNA vaccine platform in preparation for pandemics, and the United States announced support of approximately 244.2 billion won to Moderna in July for the development of an avian influenza mRNA vaccine.
In addition, mRNA technology is rapidly emerging as a promising technology that can be developed not only for infectious diseases but also for cutting-edge, high-value-added technologies such as cancer vaccines and rare disease treatments, and Moderna is already developing 12 types of cancer vaccines using mRNA technology.
Cha Sun-do, Director of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, said, “The domestic development and production of flu vaccines, which had been dependent on imports until the 2000s, began in earnest following the 2009 swine flu pandemic, and as a result, several domestic companies controlled more than 70% of the domestic flu vaccine market. “We are self-reliant enough to supply the vaccine,” he said. “As it is expected that hundreds of billions of won will be spent on importing COVID-19 mRNA vaccines every year, if a competitive domestic product is developed, we can expect a significant economic effect like the flu vaccine.”
In fact, the amount that Korea paid to overseas companies to purchase COVID-19 mRNA vaccines between 2020 and 2023 amounts to 7.6 trillion won. Until we develop our own vaccine, we must spend hundreds of billions of won every year.
However, this does not mean that Korea has not jumped into the development of mRNA vaccine technology. Domestic companies are already developing and owning core mRNA technologies. However, due to limitations in capital power and global corporate market dominance, most are still in the non-clinical or clinical trial initiation stage.
An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “Our country already has capabilities such as large-scale clinical trials and successful domestic production experience,” and added, “Experts and companies in the field can successfully develop mRNA vaccines if there is the government’s will.”
Accordingly, Korea has also begun in earnest to secure an mRNA vaccine platform that can be developed within 100 to 200 days of the outbreak in accordance with the ‘mid- to long-term plan for new infectious disease pandemics’.
Last August, the need to promote national policy was recognized and the preliminary feasibility study was exempted, and 29 billion won was newly allocated in the 2025 Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency budget.
An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “In the case of Japan, we invested about 930 billion won in three private companies during the COVID-19 period and succeeded in developing a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and building a platform in September of last year.” He added, “Like Japan, we also have private companies with technology and potential.” “The goal is to lead development and allow the government to focus on financial, institutional, and infrastructure support,” he said.
He emphasized, “Even if the next pandemic comes, we will accelerate the completion of technology by 2028 so that we can develop a vaccine on our own in 100 or 200 days and supply it stably, without any further help from foreign pharmaceutical companies.”
(Seoul = News 1)
Ea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated, “While we have made strides in mRNA technology, there is still much work to be done to transition from research and development to commercial production. We need continuous investment and support to ensure that we can compete on a global scale.”
This underscores the urgency for Korea and other nations to not only advance their vaccine technologies but also to establish self-sufficiency in vaccine production. The recent focus on avian influenza highlights the potential for new strains of viruses to emerge and cause global health crises, making it essential for countries to prepare effectively.
To facilitate this, collaborations among government, academic institutions, and private sector companies are critical. By pooling resources and expertise, countries can expedite the development of vaccines and treatments, ensuring rapid responses to future outbreaks. The ongoing research into mRNA vaccines also presents an opportunity for innovation beyond infectious diseases, including advancements in cancer treatment and other medical conditions, propelling a broader biomedical revolution.
As the global landscape of infectious diseases continues to evolve, the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic serve as a crucial reminder of the importance of preparedness, investment in technology, and the pursuit of vaccine sovereignty. These elements will not only enhance immediate responses to potential pandemics but will also lay the groundwork for a more resilient healthcare system in the future.