Development of Bioneedle vaccine delivery device filled with Measles and Rubella

Bioneedles are small degradable implants which can be used to administer vaccines quickly without pain and generating waste. In this project, Bioneedles containing measles and rubella vaccines will be developed by the combined effort of Intravacc and Poonawalla Science Park.

Most vaccines are administered using needle and syringe, which can cause pain, stress, fear of vaccination and excess hazardous medical waste. Furthermore, most vaccines require a complex infrastructure, since they require constant refrigeration; this is an issue in remote, underdeveloped areas. A novel vaccine administration method that is quick, painless and does not require refrigeration would thus be of great value.

Within this project, the Bioneedle concept will be further developed containing measles and rubella vaccines. The Bioneedle is a small, biodegradable implant which contains vaccine. The administration of Bioneedles under the skin is quick and painless. Furthermore, Bioneedles contain dried vaccines, which are considerable less affected by high temperatures than normal liquid vaccines. They can therefore be stored at room temperature, which greatly simplifies transport of vaccines to remote areas across the globe.

The following deliverables will be achieved in this project: 1) The manufacture of empty Bioneedles for current and future studies; 2) Fill the Bioneedles with measles and rubella vaccine by combining excipients with the vaccine; 3) Compare the measles-rubella filled Bioneedles for their effectiveness with a licensed liquid measles-rubella vaccine in an animal model. Once these objectives have been achieved, preparations can be made towards a Phase I clinical study with human volunteers.