TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — American pharmaceutical and biotech company Moderna on Tuesday (Feb. 15) announced plans to expand its presence in Asia by adding subsidiaries in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

This follows similar ventures in Japan, South Korea, and Australia, showing the company sees the Asia-Pacific as an integral part of its business. Moderna said in a press release that it aims to use its mRNA technology to have a positive impact on the region, which faces the challenges of both infectious and non-communicable diseases.

The subsidiary in Taiwan will support the country’s need for mRNA vaccines and medications. In addition to a 5-million dose deal in 2021, Moderna has pledged to provide 20 million COVID doses and next-generation booster shots this year and another 15 million in 2023, per UDN.

The company shipped 807 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, of which 25% went to low- and middle-income countries. Looking forward, Moderna said it will continue to develop new vaccines and therapeutics in line with its four strategic pillars.

One important project involves a “pan-respiratory annual single booster vaccine” to fight multiple viruses, including COVID-19, the flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Work is also underway to develop vaccines against latent viruses like HIV.