China’s first self-developed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine officially approved for marketing

In September 2026, a domestically developed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, co-developed by Walvax Biotechnology, Fudan University, RNACure, and Guangzhou National Laboratory, was granted marketing authorization by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). This is China’s first mRNA vaccine approved for marketing, developed iteratively based on mRNA platform technology. Its research and development (R&D) was supported by a number of key national and provincial research programs.

As a cutting-edge biomedical technology worldwide, mRNA technology boasts programmability, rapid iteration capability, and robust immune activation. It serves as the core technology for nucleic acid therapeutics and has been listed as a key R&D priority in the biomedical sector under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. The successive issuance of domestic technical guidelines for mRNA vaccines has further standardized the development of China’s mRNA industry.

This approval marks the formal establishment of a mature R&D and industrial manufacturing platform for mRNA vaccines in China. Leveraging this proprietary platform technology, Walvax has advanced the R&D of multiple mRNA vaccine candidates targeting herpes zoster and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as therapeutic mRNA products, covering infectious disease prevention and tumor therapy.