Global development of mRNA vaccines will continue, according to researchers, even as the US plans to wind down $500m of mRNA vaccine-related projects.
Earlier this month the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would begin to wind-down its mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate,” he added.
HSS said the move signals a broader shift in federal vaccine development priorities towards whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.
However, the decision has been met with dismay by many researchers.
mRNA vaccines were key to saving millions of lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, said Professor Charles Bangham, Professor Emeritus of Immunology, Imperial College London. “No vaccine has a zero incidence of side-effects, some of which can be serious, but the benefits of both mRNA vaccines and other types of vaccine – lives saved and illness reduced – hugely outweigh the risks,” he said.
mRNA vaccines should continue to be developed, he said, because new and existing infections will continue to be one of the greatest challenges to health and health systems, and because mRNA vaccines have significant potential to protect against some cancers.
Alex Pym, Director of Infectious Disease at Wellcome, said that mRNA vaccine technology has been in development for decades and has been shown to be safe and effective against infectious diseases. “The US has been a global leader in vaccine R&D and the loss of this funding could be felt worldwide. Continued investment in this area is vital to ensure we fully realise the potential of these promising technologies to existing and emerging diseases,” he said.
The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of leading virologists across more than 40 countries said it remained “unequivocally committed to the continued development and deployment of mRNA vaccines and the global scientific collaboration that makes such innovation possible”.
It said that mRNA vaccine platforms have emerged as one of the most significant biomedical innovations of the 21st century: between 2020 and 2024, COVID-19 vaccines are estimated to have prevented approximately 7.5 million deaths globally. GVN said its members are working across continents to accelerate innovation in mRNA-based vaccines, not only for coronaviruses but also for dengue, Zika, Lassa fever, and other high-consequence pathogens.
Professor Anne Willis, Director of the MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, said that directly reducing scientific funding will dramatically impact on our ability to improve this technology to make it more effective and reliable both for existing indications and diseases not currently effectively treated. “It will drive talented scientists working in this area towards other career options and risks damaging the US scientific infrastructure,” she said.
Further reading
- Getting mRNA on-target
- WHO seeks to boost mRNA vaccines development against avian flu in humans
- UK government partners with BioNTech to provide mRNA cancer therapies
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