Microneedle-Based Patches Could Give Syringes a Run for their Money

In a recent study, a microneedle-based drug-delivery patch proved as effective as traditional hypodermic needles for flu vaccination.

Researchers at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a method of delivering flu vaccine through skin patches containing microneedles. “Our findings show that microneedle patches are just as effective at protecting against influenza as conventional hypodermic immunisations,” says Richard Compans, PhD, Emory professor of microbiology and immunology. “In addition, vaccine delivery into the skin is desirable because of the skin’s rich immune network.”

Microneedle-based patches have a number of advantages over standard syringes. First of all, the microneedles are small enough that they don’t elicit pain during injection. The patches are expected to provide the same efficacy as regular syringes while using less vaccine. The low dose requirements could prove to be useful if a pandemic created a large demand for vaccine. Unlike conventional hypodermic needle injection, the patch can administer a vaccine without special training. These micron-scale needles can be mass produced using low-cost methods for distribution to doctors’ office[s], pharmacies and, possibly, people’s homes,” says Mark Prausnitz, Ph.D., professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The patches also could improve vaccine safety by reducing the likelihood of accidental or intentional hypodermic needle reuse.

The patches used in the experiments contained an array of stainless steel microneedles coated with inactivated influenza virus. The patches were pressed manually into the skin and after a few minutes, the vaccine coating dissolved within the skin. The coated microneedle immunisations were compared to conventional intramuscular hypodermic injections at the same dose in another group of mice.

The results of the preliminary research was published in the journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Public Library of Science.

The researchers next plan to study the patches in larger animal studies. Human trials are expected to follow if those studies show positive results. More studies are needed to pinpoint the minimum vaccine dose required for full protection.

The Emory and Georgia Tech research team began developing the new microneedle vaccine patch technology in 2007 using grants from the National Institutes of Health. The project team has extensive experience in microneedle development, influenza vaccines, vaccine delivery systems, product development and interdisciplinary collaboration.

For more information on the research, visit Georgia Tech’s news room.

Tags: Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, microneedle, vaccination