Zapomeran, sold under the brand name Kostaive is a self-amplifying mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. It contains a self-amplifying mRNA that encodes the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Self-amplifying means that the mRNA also carries instructions to make a protein called replicase.
Zapomeran was approved for medical use in Japan in November 2023, and it is the first self-amplifying mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine to be approved. Zapomeran was authorized for medical use in the European Union in February 2025.
Medical uses.
Zapomeran is used to provide protection against COVID-19, caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Society and culture.
Legal status.
Kostaive was approved for medical use in Japan in November 2023.
In December 2024, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Kostaive, a vaccine intended for the prevention of COVID-19 in adults. The applicant for this medicinal product is Arcturus Therapeutics Europe B.V. Zapomeran was authorized for medical use in the European Union in February 2025.
Names.
Zapomeran is the international nonproprietary name.