Accelerating Domestic mRNA Vaccine Development... Recruitment for Development Project Leader

Moderna's messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The government is recruiting a project leader to oversee the development of a domestically produced messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine.

Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters and Director of the National Institute of Health, stated at a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 21st, "To promote the mRNA vaccine development project, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health have formed a project team through collaborative work to support preclinical and clinical trials of the mRNA vaccine, aiming to accelerate the practical use of domestically produced mRNA vaccines," adding, "The recruitment for the project leader will begin on October 15."

mRNA vaccines are recognized as a suitable vaccine platform for rapidly spreading new infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Currently, Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines have been developed, approved, and administered domestically. The need for developing a domestic mRNA vaccine arises to enable rapid vaccination of the public in the event of future infectious disease crises.

To this end, starting next year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Institute of Health plan to support preclinical and clinical trials of mRNA vaccines through collaborative work to accelerate the practical use of domestically produced mRNA vaccines. The project team is scheduled to be launched and operated next year, with the recruitment for the project leader having already begun. Subsequently, evaluations and result reviews will be conducted in December, with agreements expected to be finalized in January next year to commence the project.

More detailed information regarding the recruitment for the project leader has been posted on the Health and Medical Technology Comprehensive Information System and the National Institute of Health website.