According to a recent study sponsored by Merck, mRNA technology is a “game-changer” for Asia-Pacific (APAC) vaccine manufacturers. Nearly 40 manufacturers participated in the survey.
“Vaccine manufacturers in APAC are looking to build capacity for mRNA technology over the next two to three years, while continuing to produce both traditional and modern cell-based vaccines. Across APAC, governments are investing and supportive of driving therapeutic discovery and manufacturing. With the range of tools we offer, we can better equip vaccine manufacturers to treat the regional and global population,” said Josephine Cheng, Senior Consultant, Process Solutions APAC at the Life Science business sector of Merck.
The study interviewed vaccine manufacturers across APAC, including research institutes, pharma and biotech companies. Eighty-seven percent deemed mRNA a promising technology, expecting it to be a key modality in the future. This is based on the perception that the mRNA platform benefits from shorter development time and templated manufacturing processes, proven efficacy, lower biohazard risk for operators, and flexibility in covering different types of diseases and variants.
Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, China and India are among the markets actively exploring to develop mRNA technology. Over sixty percent of the vaccine makers prefer to revamp or establish new facilities especially for mRNA with expansion planned over the next two to three years.
To effectively move mRNA forward, respondents highlighted the need for skilled personnel trained in these new technologies, tech-transfer expertise, a reliable supply chain, and mRNA-specific regulatory guidelines.