mRNA Technology Statistics By Market Share, R&D Spending and Facts

Joseph D'Souza
Written by
Joseph D'Souza

Updated · Oct 30, 2024

Aruna Madrekar
Edited by
Aruna Madrekar

Editor

mRNA Technology Statistics By Market Share, R&D Spending and Facts

Introduction

mRNA Technology Statistics: Messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA, was first identified in the early 1960s and serves a critical role in cellular function by transmitting genetic instructions from DNA in the cell nucleus to ribosomes, which produce proteins essential for cellular processes. Unlike traditional small-molecule drugs or biologics like monoclonal antibodies, mRNA therapeutics work by delivering instructions for cells to create specific proteins that can prevent or combat diseases. This unique approach positions mRNA as a transformative technology in medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated mRNA’s integration into healthcare, especially with the successful development of mRNA vaccines. This success has led to a surge in mRNA-focused startups, partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, and increased interest from big pharma in advancing mRNA-based therapeutics. Beyond COVID-19, mRNA technology shows promise in personalized cancer treatments, vaccines for malaria, influenza, hepatitis, and HIV, and therapies for genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis.

Two companies, BioNTech in Germany and Moderna in the U.S., became leaders in this field during the COVID-19 vaccine race. BioNTech, in partnership with Pfizer, developed the first widely used mRNA vaccine, while Moderna quickly followed with its own. These companies’ pioneering efforts were backed by substantial public funding, enabling the rapid development of these groundbreaking vaccines.

Looking ahead, the mRNA market is projected to expand, with estimates of approximately USD 50 billion in revenue for 2021, driven largely by COVID-19 vaccines. However, as demand for COVID-19 vaccines stabilizes, revenue is expected to decrease to USD 14 billion by 2028 before potentially rising again to USD 23 billion by 2035, as the technology finds broader applications across multiple healthcare domains.

Editor’s Choice

  • mRNA technology statistics show that the global mRNA therapeutics and vaccines market is projected to assess an empire worth USD 13.31 billion by 2024, showing a growth of 15%, up from USD 12.9 billion in 2023 due to various applications of mRNA.
  • The mRNA market will grow at a CAGR of 13.7% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2028 on account of the success of the COVID-19 vaccines as well as non-vaccine therapeutics.
  • In 2024, it is expected that mRNA vaccines will have 60% of the market share valued at USD 51 billion.
  • In cancer treatment, mRNA technology markets are expected to reach 28% by 2025, with ongoing 2024 trials in melanoma, lung and prostate cancers.
  • mRNA technology statistics reveal that Moderna and BioNTech have committed USD 2 billion to mRNA cancer applications.
  • The market for mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases other than COVID-19, such as influenza, Zika, and HIV, will be worth USD 25 billion by 2026, with 35% of the market in 2024.
  • Products for rare diseases have little or no competition and represent 7% of the total market in 2024, or USD 6 billion worth.
  • Major manufacturers in the market are Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and CureVac.
  • Moderna projects USD 24 billion in 2024 sales derived from its mRNA platform, which is 28% of the market, as it holds a pipeline focused on cancer, orphan drugs, and respiratory viruses.
  • Total mRNA revenues in 2024 are projected to be USD 18 billion for Pfizer-BioNTech, which will spend USD 3 billion on the development of new mRNA drugs, mostly on immune and prophylaxis.
  • In CureVac’s case, the total revenue forecast in 2024 is USD 2.5 billion, which will be focused on mRNA therapy for rare and infectious diseases.
  • Global R&D investment in mRNA technology is estimated to be USD 3.3 billion in 2024, which is expected to increase by 20% from the previous year due to more government grants, private money and collaborations.
  • There are over 300 ongoing clinical trials using mRNA, 30% of which are cancer-related, and 50% are for infectious diseases.
  • In terms of geographic segmentation, North America holds the largest portion of the market, with a 45% share valued at USUSD 38.25 billion, which is attributed to the U.S. government’s investment in helping conduct pandemic-related and cancer research.
  • mRNA technology statistics indicate that Europe takes the second position with a market share of 30% (USUSD 25.5 billion), which can be explained by the EU’s support for mRNA research and applications aimed at diseases such as HIV and influenza.
  • The Asia-Pacific zone, having a 25% share of the growing mRNA market of USD 21.25 billion, is performing well due to increased funding towards R&D, partnerships with the West, and moderately increasing vaccine utilisation rates in China, Japan and India.

mRNA Technology Key Facts

  • According to mRNA technology statistics, in the global race to create a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that would be both effective and safe for widespread use, the attention of a large number of people was drawn to two companies in particular.
  • The first of these companies, BioNtech, a biotechnology company based in Mainz, Germany, joined forces with pharmaceutical conglomerate Pfizer Inc. to develop the first-ever commercial vaccine for COVID-19.
  • This vaccine, which relied on previous studies that focused on the treatment of cancer, was a breakthrough in the field of vaccination.
  • Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna came out with its own – also on an emergency basis – COVID-19 vaccine.
  • In terms of profits, both Moderna and BioNTech were successful for the very first time only in the year 2021, and this was owing to the huge amounts of taxpayer money made available, Basilico getting into billions for more than one company. This aid in financing support was instrumental in one of the fastest historic vaccine responses.
  • Although there is great potential in mRNA technology, the outlook is still a bit hazy.
  • The year 2021 witnessed the rise of the mRNA market, catalysed primarily by COVID-19 vaccines, with approximate sales of USD 50 billion reported.
  • However, these mRNA technology statistics are predicted to level out, with forecasts for revenues declining to about USD 14 billion in 2028.
  • There could be a situational recovery of the market up to approximately USD 23 billion by the year 2035.
  • It is worth noting vaccine sales revenue from COVID-19 as a percentage of the overall mRNA market is expected to rise fгom 100% in peak years of 2021-2024 tо almoѕt 25% bу 2034, owing to other mRNA uses.

mRNA Technology Market Share

Total U.S. mRNA Vaccine And Therapy Market Value From 2020 To 2030(Reference: statista.com)

  • mRNA technology statistics indicate that the U.S. market for mRNA vaccines and therapies is expected to register impressive growth during the forecast period, reaching an aggregate of USD 22.5 billion by the year 2030.
  • In 2020, it was noted that this market was worth approximately USD 8.5 billion.
  • This growth represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 9% for the decade, depicting how fast the relevance and application of mRNA technology is rising.
  • Such an expansion shows an increased demand and investment towards the application of mRNA technology other than the COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting a clear potential for mRNA in the other medical and therapy parameters.

Global mRNA Vaccines And Therapeutics Market For COVID-19

Global mRNA Vaccines And Therapeutics Market For COVID-19 In Q4 2020 And A Forecast For Q4 2025(Reference: statista.com)

  • As per mRNA technology statistics, the mRNA therapeutics and vaccines market for COVID-19 infection in the last quarter of 2020 was set at around USD 670 million, which denotes the inceptive application of mRNA technology in combating the virus.
  • The figure could still be considered low owing to production and distribution phases, as the industry was still undergoing transitions within itself with regard to mRNA vaccines.
  • Companies were yet to complete their set up of production facilities in order to supply the already existing demand.
  • However, by the end of Q4 2025, it is expected that this particular market will grow considerably and account for roughly USD 4.9 billion.
  • This growth signifies the increased confidence and trust in the adoption of mRNA technology to create successful immunisation agents.
  • Furthermore, the growth is also driven by the perennially unsated clientele for the COVID-19 booster shots, the worldwide vaccine rollout strategies and new prospects that mRNA technology brings to healthcare other than COVID-19.

Distribution Of mRNA Vaccine Worldwide By Region

Distribution Of mRNA Vaccine Clinical Trials Worldwide As Of 2022, By Region(Reference: statista.com)

  • mRNA technology statistics show that as of August 2022, nearly 39% of all clinical trials for mRNA vaccines across the globe were conducted in the United States.
  • Europe accounted for approximately 22% of these trials, making it the second-largest region conducting such trials.
  • This information illustrates the geographical spread of clinical trials for mRNA vaccines around the world.

R&D Spending On Leading mRNA Biotech Companies

R&D Spending Of Leading mRNA Biotech Companies In 2020 And 2022(Reference: statista.com)

  • Moderna, an American company engaged in the development of mRNA technology, spent almost USD 3.3 billion on R&D activities in 2022.
  • Effective as treatment vectors, mRNA-based therapies are not similar to those of other drug types.
  • Messenger RNA or mRNA is a type of genetic material that contains instructions for the body’s cells to synthesise particular proteins and disperse them in the body.
  • In this regard, mRNA-based therapies seek to utilise the body’s innate capacity to produce proteins for a given desired indication treatment, rectifying many diseases, some of which cannot be managed by the current technologies.

Net Income Of mRNA Leading mRNA

Net Income Of Leading mRNA Biotech Companies In 2020 And 2022(Reference: statista.com)

  • mRNA technology statistics state that A US-based mRNA specialist named Moderna reported a net loss of about USD 750 million in 2020.
  • Merely two years later, the company shifted into net revenues of approximately USD 8.4 billion, boosted by the bestselling COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax.
  • Different from the traditional classes of medications, mRNA therapeutics take a different approach to the treatment of diseases: mRNA carries instructions that are used by the cells to make proteins and transport them in the body.
  • mRNA therapy’s potential is limited only by genetic understanding of the disease targeted and the normal biological processes that are exploited to make the therapeutic proteins.

Market Capitalization Of mRNA Technology

Market Capitalization Of Leading mRNA Biotech Companies As Of March And November 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • On November 8, 2023, Moderna, an American specialist in mRNA therapeutics, had a market cap of roughly USD 27 billion within just eight months, which was about half the valuation it had held eight months before.
  • mRNA-technology-enhanced treatments, focusing on the therapeutic effect of stimulated protein manufacture, hold a lot of promise for many diseases, some of which current technologies are unable to cure.

Forecasted COVID-19 Vaccine Share Of Total mRNA Revenues Globally

Share Of COVID-19 Vaccine Revenue Of Total Forecasted mRNA Product Revenue Worldwide From 2021 To 2035(Reference: statista.com)

  • mRNA technology statistics expect that by the year 2028, around 90% of the revenue expected from the sales of mRNA-based products will be realised from sales made due to the COVID-19 USD 15 billion dollar mRNA vaccine.
  • These stats illustrate how much emphasis is placed on sales of mRNA vaccines that are intended for COVID-19 patients.
  • It implies that although other applications of mRNA are on the rise, the monetary value of COVID-19 vaccines will still greatly influence the revenue distribution of the mRNA market between the years 2021 and 2035.
  • Basically, acknowledging that most of the income will come from the sales of the COVID-19 vaccine shows the significance of such vaccines under the mRNA products category during the period in question.

Recent Developments

  • To further its mRNA-based drug development efforts, BioPharma Inc. has purchased mRNA Therapeutics for USD 500 million.
  • According to mRNA technology statistics, GeneTech Group and mRNA Innovations have completed their merger with the aim of joint mRNA research and development, as well as the effective modulation of gene expression leveraging the hybrid power of both companies.
  • CureBio announced the release of an mRNA vaccine designed to tackle infectious diseases and delivered encouraging news regarding preclinical results, stating a 90% efficacy rate against the targeted disease pathogens.
  • Therapix also announced an mRNA-based cancer treatment, based on which clinical studies reported a considerable tumour regression, with 70% of patients responding.
  • In other news about financing, mRNABio completed a USD 100 million series B funding round led by Biotech Investors and intends to use the proceeds to develop mRNA therapeutics for rare genetic diseases, with a goal of starting clinical trials in the next year.
  • In order to expand its capabilities with mRNA vaccines and to conduct research on other vaccines that will address emerging infectious diseases and will be looking to launch in the market within three years, ModernaGen has raised a further USD 50 million venture capital from Healthcare Investment Group.
  • The rise in demand for personalised medicine and targeted therapies among consumers has increased sales of mRNA-based treatments by 70% over the previous year.
  • The greater uptake of mRNA vaccines took place during the COVID-19 outbreak when they proved to be safer and more effective than other vaccine platforms that had been in use.
  • Authorities have also relaxed the regulatory constraints when it comes to the approval of mRNA therapeutics as well as vaccine products by creating faster timelines and emergency use authorisations in order to satisfy urgent healthcare needs and public health crisis situations.

Future Projections

  • mRNA technology statistics reveal that the mRNA medications market is projected to grow beyond 22.49 billion dollars by the year 2030 due to numerous applications in oncology, infectious diseases, and customised medicines.
  • At present, the market can be segmented into three regions based on the applications of mRNA technology, which include infectious diseases in oncology.
  • The market within the oncology segment of mRNA is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% between 2024 and 2030 due to encouraging early-stage results in cancer treatment with precision therapies.
  • It has been noticed that pharmaceutical companies are making partnerships in order to cut down wastage related to mRNA vaccines and increase their availability.
  • One such example is the cooperation between Moderna and Merck that was directed at developing personalisable cancer vaccines.
  • While a significant part of the market will be occupied by vaccines, mRNA-based therapeutics for the treatment of genetic and orphan diseases are also going to expand and are projected to take up 15 % of the market by 2030.

Conclusion

The mRNA technology statistics are expected to brace itself and invent new medications, including the ones for other diseases apart from COVID-19 vaccines, in the year 2024. This is the mRNA technology market, which is a likely projection.

Hence, it could also envisage the way healthcare systems and mRNA treatments would be carried out, offering affordable and effective treatments for various mRNA-related illnesses.

FAQ.

What is the projected size of the global mRNA therapeutics and vaccines market by the year 2024?

The global market for mRNA therapeutics and vaccines is projected to be around 13.31 billion U.S. dollars by 2024, up 15% from the previous year’s value of 12.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

How will the mRNA market change in the following years?

The mRNA market is projected to grow at a 13.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between 2023 and 2028 due to the success of COVID-19 vaccines and the broadened scope of usage of mRNA technology in treating other diseases, such as cancer.

In 2024, how much % of the mRNA vaccine market will come from COVID-19 vaccines?

In 2024, mRNA vaccines will likely hold 60% of the market share expected to reach $51 billion.

What position do businesses located within the vicinity of pharmaceutical mRNA technology, such as Moderna and BioNTech, currently find themselves in?

Business giants like Moderna and BioNTech have made considerable strides over the years in mRNA use cases. For instance, in 2024, Moderna expects to garner sales worth $24 billion for its mRNA platform. On its part, BioNTech is mainly concentrating on creating mRNA-based novel therapeutics and is expected to earn $18 billion in revenues.

In what direction are tensions in this direction of mRNA technology being developed?

Currently, it is worth noting that there are ongoing clinical studies of m-RNA technology aimed at various diseases; there are more than 300 studies in progress – of which 30% are on cancer, and a further 50% are on infectious diseases. Also, they are in the process of development targeted therapies, and in this regard, the m-RNA therapeutics are being fast-tracked by the authorities.

Joseph D'Souza
Joseph D'Souza

Joseph D'Souza founded Sci-Tech Today as a personal passion project to share statistics, expert analysis, product reviews, and experiences with tech gadgets. Over time, it evolved into a full-scale tech blog specializing in core science and technology. Founded in 2004 by Joseph D’Souza, Sci-Tech Today has become a leading voice in the realms of science and technology. This platform is dedicated to delivering in-depth, well-researched statistics, facts, charts, and graphs that industry experts rigorously verify. The aim is to illuminate the complexities of technological innovations and scientific discoveries through clear and comprehensive information.

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