The mRNA Revolution

mRNA based drugs have become key during the pandemic. Could they change the medical world?

• Companies using mRNA technology have delivered several highly effective vaccines against Covid-19. The new method has advantages. Vaccine development and scaling up of production is much faster.
• mRNA technology has had a long history of failures. Starting in the 1960's researchers in Europe and the US improved it step by step – focussing on cancer therapy.
• Now, experts believe mRNA products are the solution for a range of diseases. Some predict that in 15 years one third of all new drugs will be based on the technology.
• The industry can be developed much faster than before since a lot of money is coming in from Covid-19 vaccines. This could speed up investment and drug enhancement.
• In this reading we explore the prospects of mRNA based drugs and their potential to change the medical world. We present the main researchers in the field and the limits the technology is facing.