Labiotech, one of the most visited biotech websites in Europe, offers a comprehensive overview on why needle-free vaccines are disrupting access challenges. Micron Biomedical is spotlighted as a leader in the space. The article also highlights Micron’s work to improve access to therapeutics.
Below are a few excerpts. To read the whole article, click here. A few excerpts from the article are below.
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As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, bottlenecks can occur at various stages of the vaccine supply chain, including shortages of vaccine ingredients, packaging materials, and fill-and-finish facilities. Needle-free vaccines, however, could be the answer to solving many of these bottlenecks, as they are manufactured differently from traditional needle-based vaccines….
The advantages of needle-free vaccines
The main advantages of needle-free vaccines are that they are more stable at non-refrigerated temperatures and are much easier to administer, simplifying their transportation and distribution; they can even be posted directly to people’s houses…
Steven Damon, chief executive officer (CEO) of Micron Biomedical, a needle-free vaccine developer, explained: “This overcomes a great deal of infrastructure challenges related to cold chain during transport and storage as well as sharps waste and clinicians for administration,” explained Damon. “In fact, data published in the Lancet reflects positive data during self-administration. Since the technology makes drugs easier to store for longer periods, the technology has also been recognized for stockpile vaccines.”
Damon also stated that in developed countries like the U.S. and Europe, access to therapies and vaccines can be hindered due to provider shortages, needle phobia, and social determinants of health such as transportation, job flexibility, and child care needed to get to appointments.
“This includes routine flu vaccines that might be more accessible if they were mailed home and self-administered and medications for conditions like obesity and pain, for which people may be motivated to treat but uncomfortable with an injection.”
Micron Biomedical secures over $33 million for its dissolvable microarrays vaccine
Micron Biomedical is working on developing the world’s first needle-free technology for drugs and vaccines that is based on dissolvable microarrays. According to Damon, this technology essentially looks like a button on a bandaid that, when pushed, delivers a thermostable vaccine or therapeutic directly into the uppermost layers of skin – above the body’s pain sensors – within moments. The drug then dissolves into the skin and the technology is peeled off and disposed of as non-sharp waste…
Micron’s team has had a lot to smile about recently. Last year, the Lancet recognized the company’s needle-free technology as potentially “game-changing” in humanitarian settings. This was mentioned during the publication of Micron’s positive measles and rubella phase 1/2 data from the first clinical trial of needle-free vaccines in children as young as nine months, as well as in adults, which demonstrated positive safety and immunogenicity results.
Furthermore, so far this year, Micron has secured the following fundraisings for its technology:
- A $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: This will support its efforts in increasing access to the measles-rubella vaccine and fund ongoing manufacturing scale-up efforts and activities to support a phase 2 trial in infants.
- A $3.7 million grant from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI): This funding is intended to build on the learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and will support Micron’s work on a needle-free version of a next-generation vaccine platform that can quickly be adapted to protect against pathogens that could emerge as potential pandemics, referred to as “Disease X”.
- A $2 million prize fund from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Patch Forward competition: The money from this is intended to advance Micron’s work to co-develop needle-free versions of mRNA based broadly-protecting influenza vaccines with Zipcode Bio.
- A series A3 financing of more than $16 million: This is an extension of the company’s series A round and brings the total series A equity raise to more than $33 million. J2 Ventures, a fund with a track record for funding innovations that improve the health of the military, and the Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC) led the round, which will expand commercial manufacturing of Micron’s technology.
This flurry of financing for Micron’s technology really puts a spotlight on just how attractive the idea of needle-free vaccines is right now, particularly when it comes to dissolvable microarray vaccines – a technology yet to be approved by regulators.
Damon said that Micron is now preparing and building its phase 3 and commercial manufacturing lines. He also mentioned that the company’s technology is being studied beyond vaccines, in other therapies that are currently injected, such as for obesity and diabetes. “Imagine medications to treat obesity, diabetes, pain, and women’s health that can be mailed to homes and self-administered without pain, without a clinician, and disposed of as non-sharps waste… The access to therapeutics can overcome barriers in access, as well as offer more options to meet the preferences of patients.”