South African companies say they have developed Africa's first mRNA vaccine

Cape Town, February 4 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Everegen Biologics and Vaccines Company told local media on the 3rd that the company used the nucleic acid sequence of the new crown vaccine that the United States Modena Company has disclosed to develop the first mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) new crown vaccine on the African continent, and plans to carry out clinical trials before the end of this year.

About 99% of vaccines in Africa depend on imports. Last June, the World Health Organization announced the establishment of a technology transfer centre for mRNA vaccine production in South Africa with partners to help African countries produce COVID-19 vaccines and address the unequal distribution of vaccines in rich and poor countries. Everegen joined the project.

Pietro Tebränhe, general manager of Everegen, said that Modena did not provide any technology, and they developed their own process using the nucleic acid sequence of the new crown vaccine that Modena has disclosed to produce their own mRNA vaccine.

Tebranhe said Effrigen has partnered with the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa to mass-produce the vaccine at its plant in Cape Town. The company is also working on a next-generation mRNA vaccine that doesn't require cryogenic storage, making it better suited to high temperatures and lack of infrastructure in Africa.

Some media analysis believes that South Africa's new crown vaccine production technology transfer center chose to base on the nucleic acid sequence of the Modena vaccine because there is more public information about the vaccine and Modena has promised not to enforce the relevant patent rights during the new crown pandemic. (End)