India develops first mRNA vaccine technology to fight Covid-19

New Delhi, May 14: The Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has announced the development of country's first potential mRNA vaccine candidate to fight SARS-CoV-2.

CCMB Director Dr Vinay Kumar N. informed that the indigenously developed mRNA vaccine candidate is undergoing pre-clinical studies to evaluate its efficacy to protect against live virus infection.

He said the mRNA vaccine candidate and the technology, developed by a team of researchers from the Atal Incubation Centre-CCMB (AIC-CCMB), is fully indigenous and devoid of any technology contributions from elsewhere.

He further said they observed robust immune response against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in mice, upon administration of two doses of the mRNA. The anti-Spike antibodies generated were found to be more than 90 percent efficient in preventing the human ACE2 receptor binding to the coronavirus.

CEO, AIC-CCMB, Dr Madhusudhana Rao said the research team were able to establish mRNA vaccine technology and develop a home-grown mRNA vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 in less than a year since the inception of the project.