Vietnam and Australia Partner to Develop mRNA Vaccines for Influenza and Personalized Cancer Vaccines
Key Insights
Tam Anh Research Institute (search) and the UNSW RNA Institute (search) signed a research and development partnership on August 9 in Sydney, covering RNA platforms, medicines, and next-generation vaccines.
The collaboration prioritizes two programs: an mRNA influenza (search) vaccine for Vietnam and personalized cancer vaccine candidates for patients with lung and colorectal cancer (search).
Professor Pall Thordarson said Vietnam could become a design and evaluation hub for diseases and populations underserved by global research networks, rather than only a manufacturing destination.
The Tam Anh Research Institute (search), under Tam Anh General Hospital, and the RNA Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have signed a research and development partnership covering RNA platforms, medicines, and next-generation vaccines. The agreement was signed on August 9 at UNSW in Australia, witnessed by Vietnam's Consul General, during Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's state visit to Australia from August 9 to 12. It lays the foundation for long-term cooperation in scientific research, workforce training, RNA technology development, preclinical research, clinical trials, and preparations for domestic manufacturing of RNA-based biomedical products.
The partnership focuses on two priority programs: developing an mRNA influenza (search) vaccine for Vietnam and developing personalized cancer vaccine candidates for patients with lung or colorectal cancer (search), which are major health concerns in Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region. Tam Anh said this is the first time a Vietnamese research institute has partnered with an institute specializing in RNA biomedical platforms at a top Australian university on the principle of joint investment, joint research, and joint publication of products.
Strategic Significance for the Asia-Pacific Region
Professor Pall Thordarson, director of the UNSW RNA Institute (search), said Vietnam had an opportunity to become an important driving force behind the RNA technology revolution in the Asia-Pacific region. He cited the Vietnamese government's clear commitment to developing RNA technology through recent policies, including Decision 1657/QD-TTg issued by the prime minister and Resolution 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo.
Vietnam's experience in conducting mRNA vaccine clinical trials, together with the World Health Organization's recognition of the country as having reached Maturity Level 3 for its vaccine regulatory system, were also factors making Vietnam an attractive partner for Australian researchers. "The UNSW RNA Institute (search) sees the Tam Anh Research Institute (search) as a leading candidate for a partnership that could have a lasting and substantive impact on RNA research and technology development in the Asia-Pacific region," Thordarson said.
Building Domestic Capability Across the RNA Value Chain
The value of the partnership lies not only in technology transfer but also in jointly generating data and developing solutions suited to disease patterns among Vietnamese people and populations across Southeast Asia. "Vietnam should not stop at being a manufacturing destination. It has the capacity to become a design and evaluation hub for diseases and populations that have not received sufficient attention from global research networks," Thordarson said.
The two sides plan to conduct training and expert exchanges, establish research protocols, and develop capabilities in RNA design, synthesis, purification, quality control, and packaging. They will then explore preclinical studies and clinical trials of RNA-based products in Vietnam. Thordarson said the partnership aims to strengthen Tam Anh's capabilities in RNA research, preclinical development, production, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, and clinical trials.
Dr. Phuong Le Tri, executive director of the Tam Anh Research Institute (search), said this was the first time Vietnam had accessed a comprehensive RNA development model linking basic research, technology development, preclinical assessment, clinical trials, and preparations for domestic manufacturing.
Research Infrastructure and Clinical Experience
Thordarson pointed to Tam Anh's research infrastructure, including 68 research sites connected to Tam Anh General Hospital Group and nearly 300 VNVC vaccination centers nationwide. The institute has research collaborations with Stanford University and the University of Oxford and participates in clinical trials, including VISTA-1, a study of RBS2418, an oral immunotherapy for patients with late-stage colorectal cancer (search).
The number of patients and the biological characteristics of diseases in Vietnam could fill data gaps that currently exist in the international databases being used to develop RNA therapies. These lines of research could create direct value for Vietnam while expanding both sides' RNA data and research capacity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Implications for Health Security and the Biomedical Ecosystem
Nguyen Thanh Tung, Vietnam's Consul General in Sydney, said, "Strengthening domestic research and technology capacity in emerging fields such as RNA not only matters for scientific development but also helps Vietnam improve its preparedness and its capacity to respond to future public health challenges."
In the past, Vietnam largely accessed vaccines and biological medicines after their underlying technologies had already been developed. The partnership with the UNSW RNA Institute (search) could open a new path by allowing Vietnamese scientists to participate in core technology research from the earliest stages. This could help develop safer vaccines and medicines, gradually build domestic expertise in RNA technology, strengthen national health security, and contribute to the global biomedical innovation ecosystem.
The RNA Institute at UNSW is one of Australia's leading biomedical research centers, specializing in RNA science and technology. It is part of UNSW Sydney, a member of the Group of Eight (Go8), Australia's leading research-intensive universities. According to the QS World University Rankings, UNSW is ranked 19th globally and first in Australia. The institute is pursuing research and development of mRNA vaccines against influenza (search) and personalized cancer vaccines for lung and colorectal cancer (search), and aims to gradually establish capabilities across the RNA technology chain, which underpins many vaccines, biological medicines, and next-generation therapies.