sa-mRNA Vaccine Production Launches in Massachusetts

New Jersey-based Seqirus today announced a new vaccine research and development facility will open in Massachusetts supporting the company's focus on a self-amplifying messenger RNA (sa-mRNA) technology platform, the next generation of mRNA technology.

The new Waltham facility is expected to be fully operational by mid-2022.

Roberta Duncan, Vice President, mRNA Program Lead at Seqirus, commented in a press release issued on February 7, 2022, "With clinical trials for seasonal and pandemic sa-mRNA influenza vaccine candidates commencing this year."

"The new facility will guide the advancement of our sa-mRNA platform through to commercialization."

mRNA vaccines help protect against infectious diseases by giving instructions to cells in the body to make a protein, stimulating an immune response and leaving a blueprint to recognize and fight future infection.

sa-mRNA also instructs the body to replicate the mRNA encoding for the protein, amplifying the amount of protein made.

This process could enable the development of vaccines that can be more effective with a smaller dosage and lower reactogenicity rates

In preclinical research, sa-mRNA technology demonstrated the potential to raise stronger cellular responses against a pathogen and express higher levels of protein using the same dose level as mRNA.

sa-mRNA technology is an important element in Seqirus' R&D pipeline, in addition to the company's adjuvanted, cell-based influenza vaccine (aQIVc) candidate, which combines Seqirus' proprietary MF59® adjuvant with cell-based influenza technology and is progressing into Phase 3 clinical development this year.

Seqirus, a global leader in influenza prevention, is a business of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL). With more than 1,700 scientists around the world, CSL is making important R&D investments in leading biotechnology locations including Waltham as well as Melbourne, Australia; Bern, Switzerland; Marburg, Germany; King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; Pasadena, California; Amsterdam, Netherlands.

These CSL investments help create an integrated global organization that can conveniently collaborate with each other and institutions everywhere - offering access to professional development opportunities and enhancing external innovation.

To find the latest influenza vaccine news in 2022, visit this Precision Vaccinations webpage.