Columbia, S.C. — January 20, 2026. Clay Alspach, Executive Director of the Alliance for mRNA Medicines (AMM), testified Tuesday before the South Carolina House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Medical and Health Affairs, urging lawmakers to reject House Bill 4262, legislation that would prohibit the use of certain mRNA‑based medical products in the state.
In his testimony, Alspach warned that the bill would limit patient choice, interfere with the doctor–patient relationship, and undermine ongoing scientific and medical innovation across South Carolina. He stressed that mRNA technology is a highly versatile platform, used not only for vaccines against infectious diseases but also for emerging treatments for cancer, rare diseases, and genetic conditions. Restricting any category of mRNA‑based medicine, he argued, would inevitably hinder development across the entire field.
Alspach also highlighted the impact on South Carolina’s active research ecosystem, noting that mRNA clinical trials are underway statewide—including Phase 3 studies at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center that explore personalized cancer treatments. Cutting off access to these therapies, he said, would deny South Carolinians promising new options and jeopardize local participation in cutting‑edge trials.
Alspach urged lawmakers not to abandon what he described as an “American medical miracle.” Continued support for mRNA research, he testified, will help patients fight serious diseases, strengthen U.S. biomedical competitiveness, and support high‑value jobs.
AMM concluded its testimony by asking lawmakers to consider the “harmful impacts this legislation would have on this state and its citizens” and to preserve access to mRNA medicines for South Carolinians.
The full written testimony is available here.
