MRA will contribute 300 million for implementation of RNA technology in Poland
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has entrusted the Medical Research Agency with the substantive coordination of matters related to the implementation of production of vaccines based on mRNA technology in Poland. The actions taken are aimed at preparing for possible future pandemics and securing Polish patients.
We are launching government funding of PLN 300 million to begin with, and already in May we will launch and settle our program, where in several grants of several tens of millions of zlotys each, we will direct funds to research teams working on the latest technologies in molecular biology, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasized during his visit to the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw.
RNA technology is a hope for therapeutic solutions in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The Medical Research Agency plans to announce a call for the development of innovative therapeutic solutions using this technology as early as May 2021.
The main objective of the competition is to accelerate the implementation of innovative RNA-based therapies and make them available to patients in our country. As part of the implementation of the projects selected in the call, a universal RNA-based drug platform will be developed, which will enable the development of next-generation therapeutic products for various indications, with particular emphasis on the current needs of the COVID pandemic based on the technology of Polish researchers.
The development of products based on nucleic acids is currently one of the most promising trends in modern biotechnology, not accidentally called "medical technology of the future". RNA is already used to activate the immune system, for example in cancer vaccines. However, mRNA has gained particular interest in connection with its use in, among others, the production of COVID-19 vaccines.
These new technologies are a great hope. And not only in the context of the fight against COVID-19. Of course, we can already see how a fundamental breakthrough has been made with the invention of mRNA-based vaccines. It is also a hope for the invention of an effective drug against at least some cancers - concluded Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
The versatility of this technology is confirmed by the constantly emerging new ideas for its use. Currently, clinical trials are being conducted on the use of RNA in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. Some research groups go a step further and look for the possibility to use the technology in the regeneration of heart muscle in patients after heart attack, by providing cardiomyocytes with a matrix in the form of transcript for the production of proteins responsible for the formation of blood vessels.
We want to equip Poland with the technology, a modern platform for the production of vaccines, which can be used to create preparations not only against COVID-19, but also oncological drugs used, among others, in personalized therapy. Within 2-3 years we want to build our own tools to fight any upcoming pandemic. For this purpose, we need to transfer knowledge and technology from global corporations, including mRNA technology, which also provides opportunities to create innovative drugs. - stresses the President of the Medical Research Agency and the Prime Minister's Plenipotentiary for development of the biotechnological sector Radosław Sierpiński, MD.
At the same time the Medical Research Agency on behalf of the government conducts talks with the largest international manufacturers. The idea is to launch domestic production lines so that the vaccine can be wholly or partially produced in our country. This is supposed to secure the current access of citizens to preparations based on this technology.
The investment is a part of the Plan of Development of Polish Biotechnology, which is being developed by the Medical Research Agency, and the recently announced National Reconstruction Program. We are entering a completely new sector of innovative pharmacy and biotechnology. We are talking about activities which will allow us to possess technologies and have our own strategic potential which is so important for the safety of Poles. – emphasizes Radosław Sierpiński, MD President of the Medial Research Agency.
The creation of a platform for RNA-based drug development in Poland is not only intended to ensure safety in case of another epidemic but also to add value to global innovation associated with the development of new forms of therapy. This is an opportunity for both Polish patients and scientific groups that can take Polish science to the highest level.
