mRNA-based Rift Valley fever vaccine

The mRNA-based Rift Valley fever vaccine is an investigational vaccine candidate designed to prevent infection by the Rift Valley fever virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen that causes significant disease in humans and livestock across Africa and the Middle East. This candidate is being developed using cutting-edge mRNA technology, which enables rapid design and manufacturing compared to traditional vaccines. The mechanism of action involves delivering synthetic messenger RNA encoding viral antigens into host cells, prompting them to produce these antigens and thereby stimulating an immune response against the virus. The project is led by Afrigen Biologics, a South African biotechnology company, with support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and collaboration with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). As of early 2025, this vaccine is in preclinical development with plans for Phase I clinical trials in South Africa or other outbreak-affected countries[1][2][5][6][8].

Other names

Rift Valley Fever mRNA vaccineAfrigen RVFV vaccinerift valley fever virus messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine