Seqirus sets up dedicated sa-mRNA unit to speed vaccine development

UK-based flu specialist Seqirus, a business unit of Australia’s CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), today announced plans to accelerate the development of its next generation of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology, self-amplifying messenger RNA (sa-mRNA), with the creation of a dedicated sa-mRNA program and senior leadership appointment.

Seqirus is currently developing a number of sa-mRNA-based influenza vaccine candidates, with pre-clinical results demonstrating promise as compared to more traditional influenza vaccine technologies. The company is targeting the start of clinical trials for both seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in the second half of 2022.

"While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought mRNA vaccines to prominence, Seqirus has been researching sa-mRNA as a viable influenza vaccine technology for a number of years and is now forging ahead into clinical trials to ensure we build the best possible technology platform for both seasonal influenza and pandemic response, more broadly," said Stephen Marlow, general manager at Seqirus.