Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) unveiled an important new initiative aimed at accelerating the development and accessibility of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for human avian influenza (H5N1) in low- and middle-income countries.
The initiative will be led by Sinergium Biotech, a company based in Argentina, which has committed to sharing its expertise in manufacturing mRNA vaccines for avian influenza with the WHO's Technology Transfer Hub. This collaboration is expected to facilitate the rapid and affordable production of the vaccine for developing nations, according to the WHO.
The mRNA Technology Transfer Hub program involves manufacturers in 15 countries, although not all are fully operational. Participants in the program include Biovac in South Africa and Institut Pasteur in Senegal. Notably, the South African facility was established after major pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna and Pfizer declined to share the technical knowledge required to replicate their COVID vaccines due to intellectual property concerns.
Sinergium has already developed candidate H5N1 vaccines and aims to demonstrate their effectiveness through preclinical models. Once the preclinical data is completed, the technology, materials, and expertise will be shared with other production partners. This approach is expected to expedite the development of H5N1 vaccine candidates and strengthen efforts for pandemic preparedness, as stated by the WHO.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized that the initiative reflects the goals of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme to promote increased research, development, and production in low- and middle-income countries. This, in turn, aims to ensure a more effective and equitable response to future pandemics.
This collaboration is significant as it marks the first instance of a vaccine developer voluntarily sharing its findings with a network of partner manufacturers established by the WHO. The WHO clarified that although Sinergium's mRNA flu vaccine has not yet undergone human testing, it will need to undergo clinical trials before it can be utilized.
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