For many years, messenger RNA (mRNA) was mostly known in academic and research settings. It showed promise in theory, but many people considered it too unstable and impractical for real-world medical use.
This view changed quickly in the early 2000s, as ongoing scientific progress met urgent global needs. What started as an experiment became the foundation for life-saving vaccines, turning mRNA from a research topic into a multibillion-dollar industry.
This change took years of rigorous research, smart investments, and a pandemic that accelerated the market entry of a science once viewed as too unstable for real medical use.
From The Lab To Global Headlines
The COVID-19 pandemic brought mRNA technology out of the lab and into the public eye, and some companies were ready. Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer created vaccines that saved millions of lives and showed mRNA’s commercial value. Their quick success proved mRNA could be made, approved, and delivered at a large scale, starting a new era in biotech.
The Vaccine Breakthrough And Its Limits
While vaccines showed what mRNA can do, developing other treatments is much harder.
Vaccines cause short-term immune responses, but treatments for cancer, heart disease, and rare genetic disorders need to last longer and be delivered more precisely.
Moderna is working on treatments for cancer and rare diseases, while BioNTech is developing several immunotherapies and expanding through acquisitions, such as the acquisition of CureVac. We hope to see novel mRNA therapies in the future that can tackle cancer, heart disease, and rare genetic disorders.
Newcomers Tackle mRNA’s Challenges
New startups are exploring new uses for mRNA. Strand Therapeutics is testing self-replicating mRNA with “smart switches” to target tumour cells and has seen early success in melanoma trials. Arcturus Therapeutics is developing delivery systems for rare diseases to make mRNA treatments more stable and targeted. These companies are helping solve technical problems that vaccines did not face.
Big companies and new startups are changing how mRNA is used in healthcare. Beyond well-known vaccines, mRNA is now being developed for cancer and rare disease treatments. The leaders in this field are not just making products—they are helping shape the future of medicine.
A Surge of Ambitious Startups
The rise of mRNA has sparked a wave of startups worldwide, all seeking to use the technology for more than just COVID-19 vaccines. Companies like Strand Therapeutics, Orna Therapeutics, and Atomic AI are developing cancer treatments and therapies for rare genetic disorders.
Meanwhile, established companies like Moderna and BioNTech are also moving into new therapies. Now, there are many mRNA-focused companies, often with large investments, testing new ways to deliver and improve these treatments. This growth has made mRNA one of the most exciting areas in biotech.
The Patent Battlefield
With new ideas come disputes. Moderna, which says it pioneered mRNA-LNP (lipid nanoparticle) vaccines, has sued Pfizer/BioNTech for allegedly using its patented technology, including changes to nucleosides and the spike protein-encoding region.
Other companies, such as CureVac, Arbutus Biopharma, and Genevant Sciences, are also involved in patent battles over delivery systems and lipid nanoparticles.
These fights show that owning mRNA patent rights can determine who gets to develop and sell the next generation of vaccines and treatments.
Collaboration And Licensing
Dealing with patents is not only about lawsuits—it also involves working together.
Many mRNA companies, such as Pfizer/BioNTech, have licensed key technologies from pioneers like Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.
Partnerships, co-development, and licensing deals are important for growing mRNA’s potential and avoiding legal problems.
How startups and big companies handle these rights will affect who leads in vaccines, cancer treatments, and rare-disease therapies.
Who Will Win The Next Wave?
The competition is still going. Moderna and BioNTech lead in vaccines, but new startups with better delivery methods and targeted treatments could shape the future of mRNA for years to come.
Patent fights, new ideas, and partnerships will decide who controls the technology and benefits from its potential.
mRNA Is Just Getting Started
mRNA has gone from a lab experiment to a global breakthrough, and its story is just beginning.
Moderna and BioNTech developed billion-dollar vaccines from a tiny molecule, but now startups are working on better delivery systems, cancer treatments, and rare-disease therapies.
Patent fights and partnerships will decide who leads, but it’s clear that mRNA is changing medicine.
The next ten years will be about more than vaccines—they will be about new ideas, big changes, and possibilities we are just starting to see. For people in healthcare, biotech, or investing, the mRNA story is not just history; it is the future.
