7 trends in global vaccine development 2024

Following the COVID pandemic, there are some predictable trends in global vaccine development that are promising for people. Vaccine manufacturing and development have been key to improving human health and combating diseases such as polio, measles or mumps – to name just a few.

In this article, we will take a closer look at seven of the most important trends in global vaccine development to watch out for in 2024.

The relevance of vaccine development

Humans have been looking for ways to protect themselves and each other from harmful viruses, bacteria or poison – such as snake venom – for centuries.

The history of the first formally developed vaccines can be traced back to the late 18th century, and it is predated by the practice of immunization: Records show that in order to create immunity against snake bites, Buddhist monks in China consumed snake venom as early as the 17th century.¹ Those first experiments culminated in a real success story for vaccines. Since then, vaccine development has been responsible for the containment, if not elimination, of various diseases such as polio, tetanus or diphtheria.

While the benefits of vaccine production are undisputable, vaccine research and development are a challenging business to this day. Manufacturers of researched vaccines are faced with multifaceted challenges, such as supply chain issues, scale-up or quality control. COVID, along with the recent shortages in influenza vaccine, only highlighted those challenges and served as a reminder of how manufacturing issues can quickly and easily disrupt access to important medical treatments.¹ 

Developments on the global vaccine market

The development of COVID-19 vaccines, including such based on mRNA technology, marked a significant milestone in the global vaccine market. It highlighted the importance of novel methods in vaccine development as well as the need for collaboration in this field.

With a rising prevalence of infectious diseases, the global vaccine market – currently valued at USD 77.6 billion – is forecast to reach USD 93.8 billion within the next five years. The same investigation has also come to the conclusion that high development costs are one of the biggest challenges the market is facing.²

Despite those challenges, there are a number of trends that can be observed, some of which are bound to alter the vaccine market in the long run. We are taking a look at the seven most important and promising ones.² 

1. The rise of mRNA vaccines

Even though messenger RNA (mRNA) was first developed as early as the 1960s³, mRNA vaccines were only brought to the market for the first time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several reasons for the delayed product launch, so to speak, one being technical challenges that could only be overcome by sophisticated innovations. Those innovations, in turn, required several decades of research.

When the world was faced with the COVID outbreak in 2020, mRNA technology was made ready to be used in vaccines – and it has proven to be both safe and efficient. This has led to a rise of mRNA vaccines, with numerous manufacturers developing new products to protect against a number of respiratory viruses, including influenza.

Because mRNA vaccines do not contain a live virus, there is no risk of causing disease in the person getting vaccinated. This also makes them considered ideal for immunosuppressed patients.

The numerous advantages of mRNA vaccines and the recent success during the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled progress and innovation in this field. Vaccine manufacturing companies are heavily investigating new fields of applications for mRNA vaccines in the attempt to re-shape the way immunity is achieved – such as Moderna currently working on vaccines for influenza, HSV, HIV, and others.^3 4 

2. Recombinant vaccines

Recombinant vaccines are developed using genetic engineering techniques. This involves the introduction of genetic material from a pathogen into another organism to produce a protein or antigen that can trigger an immune response in the vaccinated individual.

Apart from safety aspects, the ability to produce large quantities of antigens for vaccine development is among the main advantages offered by recombinant – including mRNA – vaccines. The versatility of recombinant DNA technology allows researchers to design vaccines for different pathogens, opening a broad field of application, including personalized or therapeutic vaccines.

The field of recombinant vaccines continues to evolve, with ongoing research focused on developing new vaccines for a wide range of diseases. Apart from cancer treatment, these include next-generation influenza vaccines or malaria, with the first vaccine having been approved in 2021.^5 6 7 8 

3. Still on track – compound vaccines

Compound vaccines combine several antigens from viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms into one product. This enables them to protect against multiple diseases or strains of the same disease within a single formulation.

In addition to providing comprehensive protection against a range of pathogens, compound vaccines also facilitate simplified logistics, thus contributing to the success of vaccination programs. This has fueled their popularity as it translates to improved vaccine coverage and enhanced patient compliance.

However the development and manufacturing of compound vaccines have to face major challenges, such as the compatibility and effectiveness of the combined antigens. Another one is the timing of administration: In order to ensure that the immune response to each component is adequate, it has to be chosen with consideration.

However, by only requiring a single shot to provide protection against various diseases, the growth of the compound vaccines market does not seem to be slowing down. As a result, the compound vaccination market share is expected to reach USD 10.11 billion by the year 2031.⁹ 

4. Viral vector vaccines

Viral vector vaccines – vaccines that make use of viral vectors as delivery vehicles – differ from most conventional vaccines in that they don’t actually contain antigens, but rather use the body’s own cells to produce them. They are manufactured using a modified virus to deliver a piece of genetic material from a pathogen, such as a virus or bacterium, into human cells. Once delivered, the host's system produces the encoded protein, triggering an immune response that leads to the production of antibodies and activation of immune cells.

In this way, viral vector vaccines aim to stimulate the immune system to recognize and mount a defense against the specific pathogen. This enables the body to respond more effectively if exposed to the actual infectious agent.

Having shown promising results in eliciting strong immune responses, viral vector vaccines are being explored for various infectious diseases and even some types of cancer. Challenges include pre-existing immunity to the viral vector and potential vector-associated side effects.

5. Personalized vaccines – tailor-made biologics

Personalized vaccines – also known as individualized or precision vaccines – are designed to elicit an immune response tailored to the specific characteristics of an individual's immune system or the unique features of their disease. This approach, which contrasts with traditional vaccines developed for broad populations, leads to high costs both in terms of development and manufacturing.

Even though they promise more effective and targeted immunization, their widespread adoption and implementation not only depends on being able to cut costs but also on overcoming various technical, regulatory, and logistical challenges.

The field of personalized vaccines is dynamic – while currently research is most advanced in the context of cancer immunotherapy, ongoing developments include other areas of medicine. This is giving rise to vaccinomics, where one focus is on the development of personalized vaccines that are aimed at groups of people based on the same sex, genotype, and other factors rather than single individuals.^10 11 

6. Vaccines for more applications: therapeutic vaccines

Providing a targeted and potentially less toxic approach to treating certain diseases, therapeutic vaccines represent a promising approach in the field of immunotherapy. Also known as treatment vaccines or immunotherapeutic vaccines, they are designed to stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack existing diseases, such as cancer or chronic infections. For instance, therapeutic vaccines are being studied for diseases caused by HPV, HIV and SARS-CoV-2, but also to treat medical conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes or cancer.¹²

Unlike preventive vaccines that are administered to prevent the development of a disease, therapeutic vaccines are used to target and treat established conditions. These vaccines aim to enhance the body's immune response to specific antigens associated with the disease, aiding in the elimination or control of the existing pathological condition.¹² 

7. Fostering progress – with single-use technology in vaccine production

The multifaceted market of vaccinations calls for an equally multifaceted, versatile approach and the utilization of innovative equipment. Apart from being able to address different needs flexibly, manufacturers also need tools that allow them to respond to changing circumstances quickly and efficiently. Especially for larger pharmaceuticals, it is quite a challenge to scale-up manufacturing while maintaining the viability & functionality of their products.

This is why the role of single-use technologies becomes more important than ever: Their adoption has played an essential role in enhancing process flexibility, while also helping to reduce costs and streamline manufacturing processes. Since they are able to cover the various stages in vaccine development, single-use solutions are ideally suited and thus playing an increasingly significant role in the biopharmaceutical industry.

To provide a process solution for fluid and cold chain management supports to overcome limitations in scalability and flexibility, yet ensuring maximum yield and product quality. Single Use Support has developed a vendor-agnostic, modular ecosystem of single-use technologies that is easy to implement and compatible with any setup.

Fluid management solutions for vaccine manufacturers include customized single-use manifolds and tubing assemblies such as IRIS, or the single-use filling and filtration system RoSS.FILL. Its capacity ranges up to several hundreds of liters at highest speed of operation. Single Use Support’s expertise in cold chain management of vaccines has funneled in RoSS.pFTU for controlled plate freezing & thawing and RoSS.FRDG, developed for ultra-low temperature storage of vaccines and other medical fluids. By allowing for scalability alongside the greatest possible flexibility, these platforms not only optimize cold chain and filling solutions but also the final medicinal product.

Read more: Improving vaccine manufacturing with single-use technologies