Pharmacy Phriday #4: mRNA Vaccines

Nov 27, 2020

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Contributor: Rachael Duncan, PharmD

Educational Pearls:

ED visits nationwide declined by 42% in April 2020 compared to the same time in 2019 largely due to the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest decline was seen in pediatrics less than 14, women and emerging COVID hotspots like the Northeast.
In recent weeks, this trend has reversed, showing a record-breaking number of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. As hospitals reach capacity, critically ill COVID patients are being held in the ED until an inpatient bed becomes available.
A new mRNA vaccine has promising preliminary trial results to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
While traditional vaccines contain purified proteins or weakened viruses, the mRNA vaccine is genetic material that is coded within the human body to make the viral protein.
The mRNA vaccine codes for the critical fragment of the viral protein without causing disease and leads to the production of powerful antibodies.
Although synthetic mRNA is genetic material, it cannot be passed on to further generations.
mRNA vaccines are much faster to develop and could potentially provide a more efficient process for developing future vaccines
Cold temperatures are currently needed to maintain the stability of the mRNA which has posed a challenge to the viability of the vaccines. However, developments are underway to overcome this hurdle.

References:

A Trial Investigating the Safety and Effects of Four BNT162 Vaccines Against COVID-2019 in Healthy Adults - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov. Clinicaltrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04380701. Published 2020. Accessed November 25, 2020.

Karikó K, Buckstein M, Ni H, Weissman D. Suppression of RNA recognition by Toll-like receptors: the impact of nucleoside modification and the evolutionary origin of RNA. Immunity. 2005;23(2):165-175. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2005.06.008

Safety and Immunogenicity Study of 2019-nCoV Vaccine (mRNA-1273) for Prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (COVID-19) - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov. Clinicaltrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04283461. Published 2020. Accessed November 25, 2020.

Schlake T, Thess A, Fotin-Mleczek M, Kallen KJ. Developing mRNA-vaccine technologies. RNA Biol. 2012;9(11):1319-1330. doi:10.4161/rna.22269

Wolff JA, Malone RW, Williams P, et al. Direct gene transfer into mouse muscle in vivo. Science. 1990;247(4949 Pt 1):1465-1468. doi:10.1126/science.1690918

Summarized by Emily Mack OMSIII | Edited by Mason Tuttle