Nobel Prize for mRNA Vaccine Development
2023 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for developing the mRNA vaccine technology.
This became the foundation for history’s fastest vaccine development programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prizes acknowledge work that has created benefits “for all mankind”.
Both working together on the mRNA platform at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1990s.
Most new drugs and vaccines is unearthed at the expense of governments and public funds.
The cost and time estimates to find a biomolecular targets in order to manage a particular disease are $1billion-$2.5 billion and several decades.
Companies subsequently commoditise and commercialise, raking in millions in profits, at the expense of the same people whose taxes funded the fundamental research.
Moderna and Pfizer began producing their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, they were also mired in North American and European countries’ zeal to make sure they had more than enough for themselves before allowing manufacturers to export.
COVAX – Corbevax
COVAX, the programme to ensure poorer countries did not become the victims of their subpar purchasing power.
Make sure the sufficient stocks of mRNA vaccines.
Vaccine Development developed this protein sub-unit vaccine and licensed it to India’s Biological E for manufacturing.
We cannot blame our scientists for trying to profit from their work.
Is mRNA vaccine benefiting humanity?
mRNA vaccine technology has benefited humanity by helping to develop vaccines against COVID-19.
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective in preventing serious illness and death from the virus.
mRNA vaccines can be tailored to target specific pathogens or diseases.
But the vaccines are still relatively expensive.
mRNA vaccines could be used to develop vaccines against a wide range of infectious diseases, including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.
mRNA vaccines could also be used to develop vaccines against cancer and other chronic diseases.
But the vaccines are still relatively expensive.
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