On Friday, the Australian government will commence an “approach to market” for developing the capacity to make messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in Australia. This comes as the government negotiates with Moderna about setting up an onshore manufacturing facility for mRNA vaccines. In a statement, the government said onshore manufacturing would ensure a secure, long-term supply of Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccines against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, including variants and potential future pandemics. The process, which was signalled in the May 11 Federal Budget 2021-22, will be open for eight weeks from Friday. Industry Minister Christian Porter said Australian businesses and researchers were already developing mRNA capacity, describing it as a promising branch of science. “However, our market analysis also shows there are gaps and challenges to scale up, which mean it’s not currently possible to commercially manufacture mRNA treatments locally. “The government is inviting key commercial …