A new initiative has been launched with the goal of expediting the development and availability of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine candidates for human avian influenza (H5N1).
The World Health Organisation (WHO), alongside the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), made this known in a joint statement published by WHO on Monday, stating that the H5N1 is for manufacturers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
It said Sinergium Biotech, an Argentinian manufacturer, will spearhead this effort, utilising the WHO and MPP mRNA technology transfer programme to achieve the objective.
According to the statement, the mRNA technology transfer programme, a collaborative endeavour between the WHO and MPP, was launched in July 2021 with the objective of enhancing capacity in LMICs for the development and production of mRNA-based vaccines.
It said Sinergium Biotech, a partner in the programme, has developed candidate H5N1 vaccines and seeks to establish proof-of-concept in preclinical models, adding that upon completion of the preclinical data package, the technology, materials, and expertise will be shared with other manufacturing partners, facilitating the acceleration of H5N1 vaccine candidate development and reinforcing pandemic preparedness efforts.
WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the mRNA programme would boost pandemic preparedness in low-income countries.
He said: “This initiative exemplifies why WHO established the mRNA technology transfer programme – to foster greater research, development and production in low- and middle-income countries so that when the next pandemic arrives, the world will be better prepared to mount a more effective and more equitable response.”
The Executive Director of MPP, Charles Gore, said the health bodies empowered low-income countries to lead vaccine development, sharing resources and knowledge.
He said: “When we created the mRNA technology transfer programme with WHO, our goal was to enable low- and middle-income countries to lead development efforts, foster collaboration, share resources, and disseminate knowledge.
“This project embodies our vision and demonstrates a strong commitment to future pandemic preparedness and response.”