30 October 2023
On 31 October and 1st November, the research and development mRNA Programme network will meet in Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand, to look forward at sustainability and the pipeline of potential vaccines and next generation technologies as the first of a series of Regional meetings which will continue throughout 2024. Programme partners such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Viet Nam will be offered the opportunity to share know-how with convened universities and medical research centers from Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and the Philippines to enhance sustainable mRNA vaccine manufacturing capacity in the region.
During a meeting to exchange on the progress in the production of mRNA vaccines on Friday 27 October 2023, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “mRNA technology is a powerful new tool, but each country by itself cannot establish and sustain this technology alone.”
To date, almost all 15 Programme partners received the introduction training at the Centre for technology transfer Afrigen in Cape Town, South Africa in 2022 or 2023 for developing the mRNA plaform at country level. New initiatives to analyse partners’ strengths and gaps are also underway and will help each biomanufacturing partners to sustain, expand and acquire the capabilities they need.
“Expanding local production, and strengthening local regulatory capacity, are essential for reducing health inequities between and within countries.
This will not only help us prepare for the pandemics of tomorrow, but to treat the diseases of today. ” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
During the two-day meeting, participants will share progress and discuss critical enablers for sustainability of the Programme such as intellectual property issues and regulatory aspects, as well as the science of mRNA technologies and key applications relevant to LMICs in other disease areas such as dengue, HFMD, malaria vivax.
As the Regional meetings will be focusing on scientific developments on mRNA vaccines technology for priority diseases, the success of the mRNA Programme relies on the current and future collaboration between biomanufacturing partners from the 15 Programme countries, leading experts, industry, civil society representatives and funders.
Announced on 21 June 2021, WHO and the Medicines Patent Pool established a Technology Transfer Programme for mRNA vaccines in South Africa, in order to build manufacturing capacity in LMICs to produce mRNA vaccines, in an effort to improve health security in LMICs through local and/or regional production of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as a primary target.
The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme has four main objectives:
or limited capacity;
The center for mRNA technology development and transfer comprises Afrigen/Biovac/South African Medical Research Council, South Africa, and will share technology and technical know-how with a network of technology recipients in LMICs. The funders play a crucial role in supporting the Programme with total funding to date at $117 million to fund the mRNA technology transfer work. The Programme currently receives funding from France, Canada, European Commission, the African Union, Germany, as well as South Africa, Norway, Belgium and the ELMA foundation.
Media Enquiries
Medicines Patent Pool enquiries:
Olivier Uzel +41 79 708 96 42 (Geneva) [email protected]
World Health Organization enquiries:
Sarah Sheppard +41 79 516 47 56
Press and Media
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.