Key Points
The immense success of mRNA-based vaccines against COVID-19 has triggered an urgency among major vaccine developers to deploy mRNA technology in combating other infectious diseases. Leading the charge are big pharmaceutical players such as Moderna, Pfizer, GSK and Sanofi.
The optimism around the mRNA approach stems not only from its efficacy but also the rapid adaptability to emerging infectious threats. These vaccines are expected to play a crucial role in addressing a wide array of infectious diseases – including those caused by bacterial pathogens – and industry experts forecast a burgeoning market in the near future.
Industry leaders are also leveraging the platform’s capacity for multiple antigens and its rapid development cycle to create combination vaccines targeting various respiratory pathogens. Moderna is at the forefront with six mRNA-based combination vaccines in development. Analysts anticipate that this combination approach will significantly influence the success of respiratory vaccines by the end of the decade.
Amid the excitement, the mRNA field faces numerous challenges, such as establishing long-term safety records and navigating a complex regulatory landscape. Developers are undertaking active expansion to overcome these issues. In particular, strategic collaboration with experienced partners will prove vital to forge ahead on the clinical, market and regulatory fronts to accelerate vaccine launches into the retail healthcare space.
As demonstrated in their fight against COVID-19, mRNA vaccines are poised to make a transformative impact in infectious disease prevention.