HONG KONG, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AIM Vaccine Co., Ltd. (06660.HK), a leading PRC vaccine company, published an announcement on February 11, 2025, announced that its independently developed mRNA shingles vaccine has been submitted for clinical trials to the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the PRC’s National Medical Products Administration. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that the vaccine exhibits significantly higher specific T-cell immunity, specific IgG antibody titers, and membrane antigen fluorescent antibody (FAMA) titers compared to commercially available recombinant subunit control vaccines.
It is worth noting that AIM Vaccine previously disclosed in its performance announcements that the company is utilizing AI for tasks such as antigen structure design and mRNA sequence optimization. A recent research report from Huaxin Securities highlights that the "AI + Pharmaceutical" trend is gradually taking shape, with AI reshaping the R&D model for new drugs. The release of domestic large-scale models, including DeepSeek, has reduced AI development costs, accelerating the domestic pharmaceutical industry’s adoption of AI technologies.
With the support of AI, AIM Vaccine is rapidly advancing multiple blockbuster products, including the mRNA shingles vaccine, mRNA RSV vaccine, and mRNA influenza vaccine. This not only reflects the advantages of its mRNA technology platform but also lays a solid foundation for accelerating subsequent clinical trials and commercialization.
Taking the shingles vaccine as an example, mRNA technology offers unique advantages in its development. According to AIM Vaccine’s announcement, the shingles virus is characterized by its lifelong latency after initial infection, with T-cells mediating absolute immune protection. The vaccine primarily works by enhancing specific T-cell immunity to prevent viral reactivation and control intracellular viral infection, thereby reducing the risk of shingles outbreaks. This aligns perfectly with the strengths of mRNA vaccines, which can effectively induce T-cell responses without the need for adjuvants, eliminating adjuvant-related safety risks.
As a leader in mRNA vaccine development in PRC, AIM Vaccine’s mRNA technology platform has been validated by clinical trial data from over 10,000 mRNA vaccine product cases. The company has established a full lifecycle process for mRNA vaccine R&D and production, enabling rapid industrialization and commercialization of mRNA vaccine products upon clinical completion.
Currently, no mRNA shingles vaccine has been approved for marketing globally, and the vaccination rate for shingles vaccines among the target population is only around 0.1%, indicating significant room for growth. In 2023, GSK’s shingles vaccine achieved global sales of approximately USD 4.286 billion. According to industry consultant CIC (China Insights Consultancy), the shingles vaccine market in PRC is expected to reach around RMB 20 billion by 2030, with the global market size projected to reach approximately USD 23.9 billion. AIM’s mRNA shingles vaccine is expected to bring substantial performance growth to the company upon its approval and market launch.