 |
| Taking the sting out of injections: Apollo develops needle-free vaccine |
No more needles | Imagine taking a child to the doctor for her immunisations and not having to cope with her fear of needles? Imagine being able to deliver vaccines throughout the developing world without the risk of needle-stick injuries or the life-threatening problem of needle re-use? While vaccines have changed the face of public health globally, the sticking point in any immunisation program has always been reliance on needles and risks associated with them.
Apollo has moved a major step forward in the development of needle-free immunisations with the first results of preliminary trials showing its transdermal delivery technology can deliver vaccine topically (through the skin) without the need for an injection.
The results open the way for providing injection-free immunisations against diseases such as measles, rubella and even the ‘flu.
Needle-free vaccine technology corresponds to a goal of the World Health Organisation to encourage research into safer and simpler forms of vaccination. The stress of giving vaccines in a needle, particularly to children, the risk of needle-stick injuries and the re-use of needles in poorer countries are real barriers to the safe delivery of vaccines.
The current market for vaccines is worth over US$9 billion annually. With more than half a billion immunisations given each year by injections, there is a large potential market for needle-free technology.
Apollo’s trials showed its technology successfully delivers tetanus toxoid vaccine directly through the skin of mice, without needles. Importantly, the trials showed that the Apollo-delivered vaccine resulted in a better immune response in mice than the injected vaccines. According to Dr Greg Russell-Jones, Apollo’s Science Director, “these early tests show great promise for immunisations without needles. Our technology allows simple applications without needles, patches, abrasion or ultrasound – which all disrupt the skin.”
Apollo’s needle-free vaccines would provide a better alternative to injections by:
• Removing the stress of needles – particularly for children;
• Reducing the risk and incidence of needle-stick injuries;
• Reducing the cost of immunisation as the vaccines could be delivered conveniently and easily without medical intervention;
• Being cheaper to store and easier to deploy than injectable vaccines which require refrigeration; and
• Cutting re-use of needles in developing countries, reducing the spread of disease.
Apollo has also used its technology to find new ways to deliver other injectable medicines. Last year, the company had notable success with trials on a lotion version of an injected drug for psoriasis.
“We are looking at all the different ways our technology can be used – from anti-inflammatory medicines to the more universal market of vaccines. The tetanus vaccination results pave the way for today’s injected vaccines to be rubbed on painlessly in the future,” said Mr Priest. |
|
|
| click to subscribe |
|
 |
| www.apollolifesciences.com |
