South African scientists make own version of Moderna jab

Scientists in South Africa have produced a copy of the Moderna Covid vaccine, raising the prospect of wider access to jabs in poorer parts of the world. Researchers at a South African biotechnology company say they have nearly completed the process of reproducing Moderna’s mRNA vaccine against COVID-19, without Moderna’s involvement. The company, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines in Cape Town, has made only microlitres of the vaccine, which is based on data that Moderna used to make its shot. 

Researchers,backed by the World Health Organization hope to begin human trials in November. They have used publicly available information to produce the MRNA vaccine which uses fragments of the genetic code of the coronavirus. Moderna had previously said that it would not enforce the patent on its vaccine, but stopped short of offering help to the South African project. It is hoped that locally produced Covid jabs could sharply increase vaccination rates across Africa, which are the lowest in the world. The South African team has offered to help scientists in Latin America to make their own version. mRNA vaccines are considered safe as mRNA is non-infectious, non-integrating in nature, and degraded by standard cellular mechanisms. They are highly efficacious because of their inherent capability of being translated into proteins in the cell. Pfizer-BioNTech also made its vaccine using the same technology. Both PfizerA and Moderna's shots were some of the first Covid vaccines to be authorised for use around the world.