National opinion: Arizona Republicans should stop trying to ban mRNA vaccines

Despite Democratic Governor Hobbs' past efforts to expand Arizonans' access to cutting-edge medicines, the state Legislature continues to propose harmful anti-mRNA bills.

The latest example is House Bill 2332, which, if enacted, would deny Arizonans access to promising technologies that could cure cancer and minimize the health consequences from deadly diseases. Lawmakers should reject this dangerous proposal.

Messenger Ribonucleic Acid, or mRNA, is the molecule in cells that carries the genetic information needed to make proteins. Many people first heard of mRNA technologies during the pandemic, but these therapies are not novel technologies that were developed in response to COVID-19. Private firms have been researching mRNA technologies, partly funded by the U.S. government, since 1985. They are the culmination of decades of basic scientific research.

Going forward, mRNA therapies have the potential to be transformational. They help cells produce the relevant antibodies or antigens that enable the body to fight the targeted diseases, ranging from viruses to cancer.

The promise of this therapy for pancreatic cancer patients exemplifies the exciting potential benefits.

Pancreatic cancer is currently one of the five most lethal cancers, with a five-year relative survival rate of merely 13%. A personalized mRNA therapy currently in a phase I trial is showing the potential to significantly extend the longevity and quality of life for pancreatic cancer patients.

mRNA treatments are also showing promise for treating melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. A new study by the Yale School of Public Health found that mRNA cancer vaccines could save "tens of thousands" of lives and "$75 billion in economic costs annually."

Those who are fighting to stop patient access to mRNA technology are killing one of our best shots at a cure for cancer.

But it is not only treatments for cancer that are being threatened. mRNA technology is showing promise as an efficacious treatment for infectious diseases, genetic disorders, and autoimmune diseases. mRNA vaccines also provide crucial protection against the seasonal flu that last year sickened over 75,000 Arizonans and caused hundreds of deaths. These vaccines can also lessen the adverse consequences from other respiratory diseases, such as RSV.

By banning the use of mRNA vaccines in Arizona, even if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the proposed legislation puts the health of millions of patients at risk.

More broadly, its passage would send an anti-innovation message to the biopharmaceutical companies that are investing billions of dollars in life-saving therapies. This signal would also discourage investors from continuing to fund the technology, hence, jeopardizing future innovations.

Health care is complex. It involves trade-offs and should always be patient-driven, a criterion that our healthcare system too often fails. However, one major achievement of the U.S. healthcare system has been the development of innovative treatments – 720 innovative drugs were approved by the FDA between 2000 and 2022. The introduction of so many treatments has significantly improved our health outcomes.

For instance, a Health Affairs study found that 35% of the increase in U.S. life expectancy between 1990 and 2015 was due to pharmaceutical innovation. These benefits continue through today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just announced that life expectancy in the U.S. has increased to an all-time high of 79 years. A major driver of this achievement is the reduced death rates from fatal diseases — such as heart disease — that innovative medicines enable.

mRNA research programs exemplify the great promise of biopharmaceutical innovation for patients. The implications for future increases in our health and well-being are tremendous. State policies that wrongly ban the use of mRNA technology jeopardize these benefits. If passed, it is patients who will ultimately suffer the most.