The Mexican government signed an agreement on Monday with the Mexican laboratories Birmex and Liomont, and the US-based Moderna, for the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, used against viruses such as COVID-19, as announced by Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum in a social media post. “This allows us not only to produce vaccines for COVID-19, but also other types of vaccines that could be developed using this technology, such as cancer vaccine research and other areas,” the mayor emphasized in the video accompanying the post.
Birmex, a state-owned laboratory, will thus join the private companies Liomont and Moderna, the latter a world leader in the development of mRNA technology. Sheinbaum explained that one of the areas of interest is Mexican biomedical research, such as the vaccine developed against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes pneumonia. “The goal is to fulfill my promise: for us to become a scientific powerhouse in diverse areas, including cancer vaccines,” she stated, without elaborating further. She also stated that this initiative can aid in the research of dengue vaccines, one of the most pressing health challenges facing the country: in 2024, Mexico confirmed more than 100,000 cases and over 200 deaths due to the mosquito-borne illness.
The president explained that the project will involve researchers from across the country in biomedicine and other fields. Sheinbaum met with business leaders and government representatives at the signing ceremony, including the Secretary of Health, David Kershenobich, the CEO of Liomont, Alfredo Rimoch, and the CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel.
At the National Palace, we signed the agreement between the Ministry of Health, Birmex, Liomont, and Moderna for the production of messenger RNA vaccines. This will help promote research and development of new vaccines in our country. pic.twitter.com/4uVt8JDKHj
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) February 10, 2026
With this plan, the government seeks to address one of the country’s historical shortcomings: the lack of its own scientific development. It’s a situation they began trying to reverse at least last year, when the administration put it on the table with projects such as the installation of a vaccine factory and the development of messenger RNA technology. In February, the Director of Health Research Projects at the Ministry of Health (SSA), Iván Valdés, explained that production would focus on treatments for cancer and other complex diseases through public-private collaboration. This is an issue that the Mexican president endorsed this Monday.
Valdés also explained that the proposal involved establishing a development zone near the Felipe Ángeles International Airport to facilitate the arrival and departure of goods. “If we can have it in Mexico, we will be at the forefront.”
Source: elpais
