Arbor Biotech's Innovative Intranasal Tuberculosis mRNA Vaccine Project Approved Under China-Malaysia Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative

Recently,Abogen Biosciences and the National University of Malaysia jointly applied for the key special project "International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Between Governments" titled "Development of a Novel Nasal Spray mRNA Vaccine for Tuberculosis: Mucosal Anchoring Adjuvant Nanoparticle Delivery Technology" (Project No.: 2025YFE0115700), which has been successfully approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Key Research and Development Program.. As an intergovernmental international cooperation project, it has also been approved by Malaysia's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

The "International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Between Governments" key special project is one of the main special projects under China's National Key Research and Development Program. By pooling global top intelligence, it aims to jointly tackle cutting-edge scientific challenges and key core technologies. The review process for this type of special project is extremely rigorous, requiring not only that the project itself possesses world-class innovative value and application prospects, but also that a substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation mechanism be established with top international teams. It is precisely because of this,Each year, the application process attracts the top research institutes, universities, and leading industry enterprises across China, with competition being extremely fierce. After multiple rounds of rigorous evaluation, only a very small number of projects stand out, fully reflecting the extremely high threshold and significant value of such specialized programs.

Project Background

Tuberculosis is one of the most serious infectious disease threats globally.The World Health Organization (WHO) report "Global Tuberculosis Report 2025" shows that in 2024, there were 8.3 million new confirmed cases of tuberculosis worldwide, setting a new historical monitoring peak; 1.23 million people died from tuberculosis, surpassing HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, making it the leading cause of death from a single infectious pathogen globally.However, there is still no approved adult tuberculosis vaccine on the market, and the development of a new generation of preventive measures has become an urgent task in the field of international public health.

Figure：2024The estimated number of tuberculosis cases in China reached10Countries with Ten Thousand Cases or More

mRNA vaccines activate the body to produce specific humoral immunity while generating high levels of cellular immunity, which is crucial for the prevention of tuberculosis.This project focuses on the mRNA-LNP delivery field, aiming to develop a novel tuberculosis vaccine based on mRNA technology. Through an innovative lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system, it achieves efficient and safe nasal mucosal immunity.Vaccination against tuberculosis via the nasal route is particularly important because it targets the respiratory mucosa—the first line of defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.Achieve the prevention of tuberculosis infection from the source and block the transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, enhancing the group immunity barrier.

International Cooperation: Strong Alliance

The National University of Malaysia is a top research university in Malaysia. The team led by Dr. Fazren Azmi is at the forefront of vaccine delivery research, developing a mucosal anchoring adjuvant lipid nanoparticle delivery technology as an mRNA vaccine delivery platform specifically designed for intranasal administration to elicit specific mucosal immunity. MARE exhibits mucosal anchoring and receptor engagement properties, along with TLR5 agonist functionality, demonstrating good biocompatibility and promising significantly enhanced delivery efficiency.

Abogen Biosciences possesses a proprietary library of ionizable lipids, successfully validated through clinical trials involving over 30,000 participants, making it one of the very few mRNA companies globally to have passed international clinical validation. Currently, the company’s freeze-dried mRNA vaccine for herpes zoster and freeze-dried mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus have both entered Phase II clinical trials. Abogen has a solid research foundation in the field of mRNA vaccines for tuberculosis, having completed antigen selection, freeze-drying process development, and conducted protective efficacy studies in guinea pigs at authoritative institutions in China, accumulating extensive R&D experience.

The two parties combine their innovative and substantial complementary strengths in the mRNA technology field and tuberculosis R&D experience to jointly tackle the development of a new generation of intranasal tuberculosis mRNA vaccine.

Global Inclusiveness  Significance Unparalleled

The socioeconomic value of tuberculosis vaccines specifically designed for adults is highly significant. The World Health Organization explicitly stated in its report, *An Investment Case for New Tuberculosis Vaccines*, that developing an effective vaccine for adolescents and adults is crucial to ending the tuberculosis epidemic.

The report predicts,The scale of global adolescent and adult vaccine doses administered between 2025 and 2050 is projected to reach 4.64 billion to 5.18 billion doses. If a vaccine with 50% efficacy is successfully developed and introduced during this period, it is estimated to cumulatively prevent 4.6 million to 8.5 million tuberculosis-related deaths.From a socio-economic perspective, this move is expected to bring a $372 billion incremental net monetary benefit globally and contribute approximately $1.6 trillion (ranging from $0.8 to $3.0 trillion) in GDP growth to the global economy between 2025 and 2080.

As an important initiative of intergovernmental joint scientific research cooperation between China and Malaysia, this project is not only a model case of actively responding to the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting high-level technological collaboration between governments, but also a vivid practice at the scientific innovation level in building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future. It holds profound significance in promoting the sharing of scientific research achievements, enhancing bilateral diplomatic trust, advancing regional public health governance, and safeguarding the health and well-being of the populace. Cutting-edge mRNA technology will become an accessible "global public good," adding a new footnote to the high-quality development of a global health and wellness community for humanity.

About Us

Abogen Biosciences Co., Ltd.(Abbreviation“Abogen”)is a company focused on messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA)An innovative biopharmaceutical company in drug research and development. The company possesses industry-leading, proprietary intellectual property.mRNAAnd the nanotechnology delivery platform, is one of the few in China with complete value chain capabilities.mRNAPharmaceutical R&D enterprises, covering frommRNAFrom design, formulation development to large-scale production, the company has established a rich product pipeline, covering multiple fields such as cancer immunotherapy, autoimmune diseases, and infectious disease prevention and treatment.