Posters –
Infectious diseases and Vaccines
NAME OF THE PROJECT
NAME OF THE MAIN CONTACT
ORGANISATION NAME
Smart microneedle patches for dermal delivery
Pieter Jan Vos
MyLife Technologies BV
MyLife Technologies are developing a platform technology based on nanoporous
MicroNeedle Arrays (npMNA’s), which are integrated into a patch for drug delivery
through the skin.
Technology
The 2 main distinguishing features of our technology are widely recognized by the
industry : we offer ceramic and nanoporous microneedles arrays.
The nanopores alloc for dtorage of active compounds, such as vaccines, inside the device
consisting of microneedles connected to a blackplate. Once brought into proper contact
with the skin, the vaccine diffuses from the nanopores into the outer skin layers targeting
the dendritic cells. The microneedles pierce the stratum coreum and reach into the
epidemia / dermis.
Customers / Target market
We are focusing on the following drug delivery market segments : prophylactic vaccines
(infectious diseases), therapeutic vaccines (immunotherapy) as well as specific small
molecules. Intradermal deliver of vaccines substantially enhances the efficacy of vaccines
and implies a dose sparing potential of a factor 5 to 100 compared to intramuscular
injection of vaccines.
Our collaboration partners include big pharma, small biotech and academia.
Together with our partners we are running co-development projects or jointed grant
applications. The markets of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines show high growth
rates.
Industry and competitors
The large majority of the microneedle technology developers focus on either solid
microneedles or hollow microneedles. Solid microneedles can be used in various ways:
poke & patch (microneedles perforate the skin and consequently a drug
containing patch is applied onto the skin),
coat & poke (drug coated microneedles are applied on the skin for release of the
coating),
poke & dissolve (drug containing polymer microneedles dissolve in the skin)
MyLife Technologies holds unique position by offering a poke & diffuse technology: Drugs
entrapped in the nanopores of the microneedles arrays diffuse into the skin after
administration.
Competitors include among others 3M, Corium and Vaxxas.
Financing need / Commercial
opportunity
IP – Patent situation
We are currently looking for 1 million € funding. The funding will be used for the
following purposes:
accelerate & intensifu development program (preclinical proof-of-concept
studies are ongoing for various applications)
expand our lab facilities at BioScience Park, Leiden, The Netherlands
Scale-up and automation of the microneedles array production
Our technology is patented under the following patent reference : Invention “WO
1008113856 (A1) – Integrated microneedle array and a method for manufacturing
thereof”. Based on this application, patents have been granted in United States
(8903384), Japan (5517956), China (200980117052.4) and Europe (2262722). Three more
patent applications are still pending at present.
Milestones achieved: Feasibility studies for drug delivery of various compounds in ex-vivo
skin models have been completed.
Future steps / Milestones
We are currently conducting Proof-of-Concept studies in relevant animal models in
various therapeutic areas : prophylactic vaccines, therapeutic vaccines (peptide) and
small molecules. Most of the Proof-of-Concept studies are done in collaboration with
partners. First POC studies should be completed by Q1 2016.
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Further reading
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Contact person
K. Van der Maaden et al., Microneedle-based drug and vaccinces delivery via
nanoporous microneedle arrays, Drug Deliv Trans Res (2015),
doi :10.1007/s13346-015-0238-y
Z. Ding et al.; Microneedle arrays for the transcutaneous immunization of
diphtheria and influenza in BALB/c mice, J Control Release (2009),
doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2099.01.025
A. Boks et al.; Cotrolled release of a model vaccines by nanoporous ceramic
microneedle arrays, Internation Journal of Pharmaceutics (2015), doi:
10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.06.025
M. Verhoeven et al., Applying ceramic nanoporous microneedle arrays as a
transport interface in egg plants and an ex-vivo human skin model, M.,
Microelectronic Engineering (2012), doi:10.1016/j.mee.2012.07.022
Mr. P J (Pieter Jan) Vos, CEO, MyLife Technologies BV, pjvos@mylifetechnologies.nl
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