1. Scrip
  2. >>R&D

Bill Gates Backs mRNA Capacity In India, Pitches Cutting Gene Therapy Cost

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

Billionaire philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation signals efforts underway to support building mRNA capacity in India amid the new platform’s potential beyond COVID-19 vaccines. He also highlights the need to bring down sharply the cost of gene therapies.

KT Rama Rao and Bill Gates
Telangana Minister for Industries and Commerce KT Rama Rao and Bill Gates • Source: BioAsia 2022

Bill Gates is backing efforts to get Indian partners into the equation for new platforms like mRNA, which the multi-billionaire co-founder of Microsoft expects will not only ensure huge scale for vaccines based on that technology going forward but also keep a tight lid on costs.

“We have a research agenda with our partners in India, not just for COVID-19 vaccines but also to take some of these new platforms, including mRNA, and build up the capacity in India and have those as a standby for future pandemics,” Gates said in a fireside chat at BioAsia 2022

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from R&D

Marea Eyes Cardioprotective Benefit With ANGPTL4 Inhibition

 
• By Joseph Haas

Phase IIa data for ANGPTL4-targeted antibody shows reduced triglycerides and remnant cholesterol, which Marea asserts indicates potential to protect against cardiovascular outcomes.

First Win For AstraZeneca’s Enhertu In Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treatment

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

Already dominating in later lines of breast cancer treatment, Enhertu could now displace both chemotherapy combinations and Roche’s Kadcyla in early-stage HER2-positive patients.

In Brief: Strong OS Results For Immutep’s Eftilagimod/Keytruda Combo In Head And Neck Cancer

 
• By Sushmita Panda

Australian firm's combo of eftilagimod and Keytruda shows 17.6-month median overall survival in first-line HNSCC patients with low PD-L1, raising hopes for potential accelerated approval.

In Brief: Positive New Data For Aptose’s Triplet Therapy In 1L AML

 
• By Sushmita Panda

Aptose’s tuspetinib triplet shows early mutation-agnostic promise in new data from Phase I/II program for frontline acute myeloid leukemia.

More from Scrip

Industry Makes Its Case To Trump In Effort To Sidestep Tariffs

 
• By Jessica Merrill

Pharmaceutical industry organizations offered alternatives to tariffs that could maintain a secure domestic supply chain in public comments filed in response to a 232 investigation.

Copycats Compound Novo’s Wegovy Growth Problems

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

The US FDA has ordered compounders of the Danish firm's obesity drug semaglutide to shut up shop later this month, but competition from Eli Lilly is only increasing.

Stock Watch: Market Optimism Outshines Q1 Currency And Tariff Woes

 
• By Andy Smith

The weak US dollar helped some companies reporting first-quarter results and hindered others reporting in stronger currencies. But even the impacts of currencies and Medicare modernization on first-quarter revenues were overlooked when an end to the trade wars seemed possible.