Self-copying RNA vaccine wins first full approval: what’s next?

The approval of yet another RNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 might not seem momentous. But the endorsement last week by Japanese authorities of a jab against SARS-CoV-2 constructed using a form of RNA that can make copies of itself inside cells — the first ‘self-amplifying’ RNA (saRNA) granted full regulatory approval anywhere in the world — marks a pivotal advance.

The new vaccine platform could provide potent defence against various infectious diseases and cancers. And because it could be used at a lower dose, it might have fewer side effects than other messenger RNA (mRNA) treatments have.

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