Iranian specialist produces first mRNA-based vaccine against COVID-19 after returning home

An Iranian expert succeeded in producing an mRNA-based vaccine against coronavirus, after returning home, via registration on Connect software, launched by Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-based Economy.

Dr. Khodami, the CEO and founder of the knowledge-based company “ReNAP” was a prominent expert residing in the US and returned to his homeland after registering on Connect, designed to pave the way for the return of elite expats.

During the opening ceremony of the clinical trial phase of “ReNAP” vaccine, which was held at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, he said the COVID-19 pandemic led to new health, economic and social complexities in the world, prompting experts to try to find therapeutic and preventive solutions against the virus.

“In this context, a new drug platform was introduced that did not exist in the clinical field before, and it was mRNA-based vaccine. In the beginning, only two famous American companies, Pfizer and Moderna, were able to produce the coronavirus vaccine based on this pharmaceutical platform,” he said.

“It was after this development that we in the company were able to indigenize this technology,” he added.