The Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University College of Medicine (VIC-K, Director Heejin Cheong) has entered into a full-scale collaboration with global pharmaceutical company Moderna to develop an mRNA-based hantavirus vaccine.

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Each year, Korea reports 300 to 400 cases of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) caused by hantavirus. The virus predominantly affects young men in their 20s and 30s during military service as well as residents in high risk areas, with fatalities occasionally reported.

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Although a hantavirus vaccine developed by Professor Ho Wang Lee’s team at Korea University has been in use since its approval in 1990, the designation of hantavirus as a potential “Disease X” pathogen by the World Health Organization underscores the need for a new vaccine effective against a broader range of hantavirus strains.

Partnership seminar

On July 4th, the Vaccine Innovation Center and Moderna co-hosted the ‘mRNA Access Partnership Seminar’ to discuss future collaboration on developing an mRNA-based hantavirus vaccine. The seminar included welcome remarks from Heejin Cheong, Director of VIC-K, and Ji-Young Sohn, General Manager of Moderna Korea, an introduction to the Vaccine Innovation Center by Ok Park, Deputy Director of VIC-K, a presentation on Moderna’s mRNA Access Program for global health crisis response by Francesca Ceddia, Chief Medical Officer of Moderna, an introduction to the H Project by Dr. Jonghyeon Seok, and a Q&A session.

Since signing a research agreement last September, the two institutions have collaborated through Moderna’s global public health initiative, the mRNA Access Program, which supports researchers in developing mRNA vaccines for emerging or neglected infectious diseases by producing preclinical vaccine candidates using Moderna’s mRNA technology.

Information and materials

The Vaccine Innovation Center has provided Moderna with hantavirus antigen sequence information, and Moderna provided mRNA material from the information to Vaccine Innovation Center. Recently Vaccine Innovation Center conducted antigen expression studies with the mRNA material. Moving forward, the center plans to utilize preclinical mRNA vaccine candidates provided by Moderna to develop a hantavirus vaccine effective against a wider range of virus strains compared to existing vaccines.

Francesca Ceddia, Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer, emphasized, “This partnership is expected to strengthen mRNA vaccine research and development capabilities in Korea and bring significant advancements in public health.”

Heejin Cheong, Director of VIC-K, remarked, “It is meaningful to continue the legacy of the late Professor Ho Wang Lee, who first isolated the hantavirus and contributed to vaccine development. We will maintain close collaboration with Moderna to successfully develop an mRNA-based hantavirus vaccine and contribute to global public health.”

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