After medical scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) that contributed to developing a Covid-19 vaccine, civic groups here called for addressing the monopoly of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine technology.

The Civil and Social Solidary for Better Medicine Manufacturing System, which includes the Pharmacists’ Association for Healthy Society and IPLeft, an information-sharing solidarity, made the point in a commentary Thursday.

"During the last pandemic, scientists, international organizations, national governments, and nonprofits came together to develop a vaccine in less than a year. Thanks to the vaccine, we could return to our normal lives and declare the pandemic over,” the solidarity said. “This must be what this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine means.”

However, low-income countries received only 27 percent of their vaccine doses despite the WHO's support through COVAX, it said. In contrast, high-income countries threw away expired vaccines because there was no one to receive them. This is why science and technology are not free from criticism for being used as a tool to widen inequality.

The solidarity pointed out that transnational pharmaceutical companies are refusing to share their mRNA technology, although the effective use of such technology could help to respond to the next wave of emerging infectious diseases.

"The WHO has decided to establish Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa as mRNA vaccine hubs to develop and produce vaccines against emerging infectious diseases," the coalition said. "However, transnational pharmaceutical companies have refused to share their technology. They are strengthening their intellectual property rights to monopolize profits and are enforcing their technology monopoly with multiple patent lawsuits."

The advantage of mRNA technology is that it can be rapidly mass-produced. However, although experiencing more than eight strains so far, the mRNA vaccine has only been supplemented twice, the solidarity noted. This is because the monopolies released updated boosters according to their additional profits. Technological monopolies are preventing the world from capitalizing on the advantages of mRNA, it added.

"We should be grateful to the scientists and researchers who pioneered mRNA technology. However, we must also remember that many people have been excluded from the benefits of the technology,” it said. “We should use this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine as an occasion to revisit the issue of monopolization of mRNA technology to ensure equitable access to vaccines."