In 2005, Penn biochemist Katalin Karikó and immunologist Drew Weissman published a paper detailing research focused on messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid). Years later, this mRNA technology was implemented by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech to create covid-19 vaccines, which have since saved an estimated 2 million lives in the United States.
Thanks to patents on Karikó and Weissman’s research, Penn is now collecting covid-19 vaccine royalties, which are being re-invested into Penn’s research portfolio to support further discovery of life-saving therapies and technologies. Some of Penn’s initial plans for the royalties are to fund additional scientific and medical research and expand laboratory space and research resources.
Read the full Inquirer article using the following link:
https://www.inquirer.com/business/penn-covid-vaccine-technology-mrna-royalties-revenue-20220612.html