Buenos Aires, June 6, 2025. International experts visited the pharmaceutical company Sinergium Biotech to support the development of a vaccine against the influenza A(H5N1) virus based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The meeting is part of the efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to strengthen regional capacities to prepare for future pandemics as part of the mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Program.
The meeting brought together the members of the scientific committee that technically supports the project and is made up of international experts in vaccine development, including experts from CEPI, MPP, WHO, and PAHO. The technical team from Sinergium Biotech, which leads the consortium also comprised of the South African company Afrigen and the UBA-CONICET Institute for Research in Microbiology and Medical Parasitology (IVMPAM), also participated. They presented the project’s progress and received feedback from the committee.
During the visit, Sinergium Biotech presented its progress in the technological development of the vaccine, the facilities were visited, and experts presented recommendations for moving forward in the next stages of Phase 1 studies and preparing for potential production under good manufacturing practices (GMP) standards.
Eva Jané Llopis, PAHO representative in Argentina, highlighted the importance of this effort: “The progress of this project for the development in Argentina of a candidate vaccine using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology for the prevention of avian influenza A (H5N1) is of utmost importance given that the viruses that cause this disease pose a significant risk to public health due to their widespread circulation in animals and the possibility of causing a future pandemic in humans.”
He then added that “technology transfer is critical for the health sovereignty of the Americas Region in terms of essential inputs such as vaccines, strengthening regional and global production and capacities with Argentina’s leadership.”
For his part, Alejandro Gil, CEO of Sinergium Biotech, highlighted the importance of the meeting: “At Sinergium, we celebrate the progress made and the space for scientific exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together researchers from both the private sector and universities, as well as from all members of PAHO, WHO, and the MPP. We reaffirm our commitment to continue doing everything in our power to develop vaccines on the mRNA platform and contribute solutions for the entire Americas Region.”
Amin Khan, who chairs the technical-scientific committee, remarked: “The model we are applying here—where a country with technical capacity leads development and then transfers knowledge—is the way to avoid the inequality we experienced during COVID.”
As a next step, the team will complete preclinical testing while moving forward with the construction of a new mRNA production facility that will be operational in 2026. Argentina will share the lessons learned and results of this development with other low- and middle-income countries through the mRNA Technology Transfer Program launched by the WHO in 2021.
Technological Innovation for Public Health
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the potential of mRNA-based vaccine platforms to deliver rapid and effective responses. Building on this experience, the WHO launched the mRNA Technology Transfer Program in 2021, with the goal of establishing production capacities in 15 low- and middle-income countries.
Sinergium Biotech, as a key partner in the program, is leading the development of an H5N1 vaccine candidate using mRNA technology. This effort not only seeks to strengthen production capacity to bolster national and regional sovereignty, but also to share knowledge, materials, and technology with other program partners, thus promoting a regional network for production and response to health emergencies.
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