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HHS Terminates Emory University Grant for mRNA Research Despite Promising Results

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Aug. 5 that the Department of Health and Human Services terminated an Emory University grant for mRNA research, as part of a "coordinated wind-down" initiative to end funding for 22 mRNA vaccine development projects. However, the terminated grant did not involve vaccine development, but rather the development of an inhalable dry powder to treat patients for influenza and COVID-19.

Philip Santangelo, the lead researcher for the grant, emphasized that the project differed from a preventative vaccine, using mRNA to treat patients after a virus had infected them. The grant, from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, allotted $750,000 for research that showed promising results, including the potential for the treatment to work against multiple variants and strains of pathogens. Despite these promising results, the HHS terminated the grant, following a broader trend of defunding scientific research across the country.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Emory University grant for mRNA research was terminated by the Department of Health and Human Services, despite promising results.
  • The terminated grant did not involve vaccine development, but rather the development of an inhalable dry powder for treating influenza and COVID-19.
  • Philip Santangelo, the lead researcher, emphasized that the project used mRNA to treat patients after a virus had infected them, rather than as a preventative measure.
  • The research team was making significant progress in developing the mRNA inhalable treatment technology at the time of its termination.
  • The HHS termination of the Emory grant follows a broader trend of defunding scientific research across the country.
  • Emory University has stated that it will adjust to potential government funding changes and continue to pursue its research goals.
  • Dr. Nadine Rouphael, a Distinguished professor of Vaccinology and Infectious Diseases at Emory School of Medicine, has expressed concerns about the cuts to mRNA research.

Statistics:

  • $750,000: The amount of funding allocated to the Emory University grant for mRNA research.
  • 22: The number of mRNA vaccine development projects being terminated as part of the HHS "coordinated wind-down" initiative.
  • 2024: The year in which the research team began working on the mRNA inhalable treatment technology.
  • 2026: The planned completion year for the research project, now interrupted by the HHS termination.

Sources:

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announcement on Aug. 5, 2023
  • Philip Santangelo interview with The Emory Wheel
  • Emory School of Medicine press release
  • Laura Diamond email to The Emory Wheel (Aug. 21, 2023)
  • Nadine Rouphael interview with The Emory Wheel

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