AIM Vaccine Co., Ltd. (06660.HK), a leading PRC vaccine company, published an announcement on March 23, 2025, the company's independently developed mRNA shingles vaccine has recently received clinical trial approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of now, AIM has obtained FDA approval to begin clinical trials for two major mRNA vaccine products: the mRNA shingles vaccine and the mRNA .

AIM's mRNA Vaccine Technology Platform Demonstrates Significant Advantages, Capturing a Billion-Dollar Market Opportunity

In just one month, AIM has leveraged its independently innovated mRNA technology platform to deliver two major products, both of which have received recognition from international authoritative organizations. This rapid progress has showcased AIM's strength as the "domestic leader in mRNA vaccines."

As highlighted in a research report by Fosun International Securities, AIM Vaccine is the first company in China to establish a complete mRNA vaccine R&D system, and its technology platform possesses the unique advantage of "one-time development, multiple reuses." The mRNA technology platform, successfully validated during the COVID-19 pandemic, further solidifies AIM's leadership position in the next generation of vaccine innovation, laying a solid foundation for future technological breakthroughs. AIM's mRNA technology platform is not only fast but also effective. Specifically for the recently approved mRNA shingles vaccine, results from testing units indicated that this product's specific T-cell immunity, specific IgG antibody titers, and membrane antigen fluorescent antibody (FAMA) titers are significantly higher than those of currently marketed recombinant subunit control vaccines.

Compared to similar products using the mRNA technology route, AIM's mRNA shingles vaccine also has its unique advantages. The research report from Fosun International Securities indicates that AIM's technology route successfully avoids the patent barriers of existing shingles vaccines, creating favourable conditions for entry into the global market, which is projected to reach USD 23.9 billion. Particularly in the Chinese local market, with a remarkably low vaccination rate of 0.1% and an expected market size of RMB 20 billion, this vaccine is likely to fill the gap in the mRNA technology route.

More importantly, AIM's mRNA technology platform has innovatively addressed the stability challenges of mRNA vaccines, providing crucial support for targeting the global market from the outset. As noted in the report by Fosun International Securities: AIM's mRNA platform "maintains vaccine activity under conventional cold chain conditions of 2-8°C through optimized nucleotide modifications and lipid nanoparticle delivery systems. These groundbreaking advances provide an important template for Chinese vaccine enterprises to participate in global technological competition."

AI Empowerment Unlocks Greater Imagination

Recently, AIM announced a comprehensive deployment to integrate the DeepSeek large model, particularly in vaccine development, utilizing DeepSeek in conjunction with generative models and deep learning techniques to optimize mRNA vaccine sequence design and stability.

Industry insiders believe that AI is crucial in the mRNA field. Particularly in vaccine design, anticipating future mutation directions often necessitates insights that are impractical to achieve manually. AI algorithms can rapidly identify the optimal mRNA sequences and efficiently and accurately predict trends in mutation directions, fundamentally changing the logic of development.

With AI support, AIM is expected to rapidly advance multiple key products, including the mRNA shingles vaccine, mRNA RSV vaccine, and mRNA influenza vaccine. Previously, the research report from Fosun International Securities suggested that with its leading technological advantages and rich product pipeline, AIM is gradually establishing its industry position in the mRNA vaccine field, providing strong momentum for future commercialization success.

AIM has also expressed keen interest in the application of vaccines beyond infectious diseases; during an open day for investors, the company revealed it is actively engaged in the development of tumor vaccines. Industry insiders believe that based on its mRNA technology platform, AIM has immense potential for expansion without limits.

The combination of AI and mRNA technology holds significant implications not only in the life sciences domain but also in terms of economic value. According to a report recently published by Precedence Research, the global mRNA therapeutic market is expected to reach USD 42.64 billion by 2034. The economic potential that this technology can unleash in terms of health populations is anticipated to see several-fold growth.

Focusing on the mRNA shingles vaccine that recently received FDA approval for clinical trials, there are currently no mRNA shingles vaccines approved for sale globally, with a vaccination rate of only about 0.1% among the target population, indicating substantial room for improvement. According to forecasts from industry consultant Zhi Shi Consulting, the market size for shingles vaccines in China is projected to reach approximately RMB 20 billion by 2030, while the global market size will reach approximately USD 23.9 billion. As AIM accelerates the commercialization process of its mRNA shingles vaccine, it is expected to bring considerable performance growth to the company.