WASHINGTON D.C. – Pfizer announced they are working on a MRNA flu vaccine.
The company released the following statement:
This could be a game-changer for a flu vaccine, says Verna Welch, Senior Director, mRNA Pipeline (Non-COVID) Medical and Scientific Affairs Lead. By using mRNA technology, scientists may be able to develop and manufacture the flu vaccine faster. This is, in part, because they wouldn’t have to grow the cells to make the vaccines. “If we use mRNA technology, then we may be able to develop the vaccine closer to flu season,” she says. “And therefore, we’re able to better match it with the circulating viruses avoiding vaccine mismatch.”
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According to Pfizer, in July of 2022 Pfizer reported positive clinical results in its Phase 2 trial of the mRNA flu vaccine candidate. “The data from that trial suggest a strong T-cell immune response in addition to good safety and tolerability in trial participants,” says Welch. T-cells are white blood cells that recognize and defend against familiar germs.14
In September 2022, Pfizer began work to recruit 25,000 volunteers ages 18 and older to participate in the Phase 3 clinical trial for the mRNA flu vaccine. One goal of the trial is to include participants from a variety of age groups and backgrounds, in order to best reflect real-world diversity.
Pfizer said MRNA Flu vaccines are still in the infancy stage, “Though the discovery and early research into mRNA dates back to the 1960s, its application to vaccine development is still in its infancy. In fact, McLaughlin compares the potential for messenger RNA to the early days of the Internet. “We didn’t realize what all the applications of the Internet were going to be,” said a Pfizer spokesperson.
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