The case for mRNA vaccine development and circulation in the country is being strengthened by the prospect that further waves of Covid may be triggered by different mutants of the virus. At present, India pdoes not have a single mRNA vaccine that could become a game-changer not just in managing the 19 pandemic but also in other areas of concern such as Hepatitis B and HIV, among others. Even the Health Ministry, in a recent press conference, appreciated the mRNA platform. 

According to Sujay Shetty, Leader, India Pharmaceutical & Life Science, PwC India, most of the innovative developments are happening on the mRNA platform worldwide. He said that more than 150 candidates are being developed on this technology.

“mRNA has proven its worth in vaccines so far. Globally, because of this technology, we are in a better place right now. We, as an industry, should develop a capability to develop our own vaccines,” Shetty told BusinessLine. 

Clinical trial stage

At present, India has only one mRNA vaccine, developed by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, which is in the clinical trial stage. According to industry insiders, companies such as Serum Institute of India (SII) are also exploring the mRNA platform, and they are just a few years away from it. This platform is expensive due to highly sophisticated technology and it also takes time to develop the infrastructure to produce mRNA-based jabs. However, with the increase in scalability, the production can be cost-effective, say experts. 

VK Paul, Member Health-Niti Aayog, while responding to a BusinessLine query on mRNA platform at a Health Ministry press conference, , said that mRNA vaccines can survive in cold chain storage and be easily transported unlike other vaccines that are stored at zero temperature. He had also expressed the need for mRNA platform because it has shown that mRNA vaccines are effective, not just for Covid, but also for other diseases as well, including malaria.

However, T Jacob John, a renowned virologist, is against the need for mRNA vaccines, especially for infectious diseases like Covid. According to him, there is not enough data available to substantiate its 100 per cent safety, unlike Covaxin, which is completely safe. 

“We don’t need mRNA vaccines for Covid because there are safety concerns in that. mRNA platform should be investigated by India before rushing in for it. It can be good for cancer because mRNA vaccines can be tailor-made for a particular patient,” said John. He further added that it is yet to be ascertained whether these vaccines can be effective and safe in other diseases. 

“This is an imitation idea. As South Africa has gone, so we should go for this. This should not be the criteria. The safest vaccine to deal with Coronavirus is inactivated virus vaccine. Protein vaccines will be absolutely safe and effective. These are also not very expensive. These are the vaccines which India needs,” said John. 

“I have scientific and ethical objections to using mRNA vaccines for common infectious diseases. My only concern is safety. We can learn from other countries’ data on mRNA vaccines, which show that these are not 100 per cent safe vaccines for such diseases,” he said, while adding that vaccines are administered to healthy people.

 “People with cancer are different as they are fighting for life. So, mRNA vaccines with some problems, can be given to them to save their lives,” he added.

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