Definition

A formulation consisting of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulating a nucleoside modified messenger RNA (modRNA) encoding an optimized form of the full-length severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (SP), with potential immunizing and anti-COVID-19 activities. Upon injection of tozinameran, the LNPs bind to the plasma membrane of nearby cells and release SARS-CoV-2 SP mRNA into the cell. The mRNA is then translated by the cellular protein translation machinery to produce SARS-CoV-2 SP. This may stimulate the immune system to induce an antibody and T-cell-mediated immune response. This may provide active immunization against SARS-CoV-2 infection. SP, usually found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, plays an essential role in the infection pathway of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.