This award is in response to the need for devices that can effectively deliver nucleic acid-based vaccines and are also compatible with military operations or a field environment
Image: PharmaJet secures funding from the US DTRA. (Credit: Pixabay/HeungSoon.)
PharmaJet, the maker of innovative, needle-free injection technology, announced that it received a $9.6 million dollar contract award from the Joint Science and Technology Office of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). DTRA, through the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC), is funding the use of needle-free technology to further progress promising nucleic acid vaccines, while also funding the development of PharmaJet’s next generation needle-free devices. The initial studies underway are focused on delivery of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) DNA Vaccines developed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) using the PharmaJet systems.
This award is in response to the need for devices that can effectively deliver nucleic acid-based vaccines and are also compatible with military operations or a field environment. Traditional electroporation devices posed a concern to military operations because of their bulky size, need for power supplies, patient discomfort and device sterilization issues. The PharmaJet Needle-free Injection Systems are easy-to-use and optimized for field use. Multiple studies delivering DNA vaccines with PharmaJet systems have shown immunogenicity levels higher than with needle-syringe and comparable to electroporation. The next generation needle-free devices will further enable the rapid development of nucleic acid vaccines and therapeutics.
Chris Cappello, President and Chief Executive Officer, PharmaJet Inc. said, “we are excited to be collaborating with the U.S. Government to progress their vaccine development and next generation needle-free devices, which could include variable dose devices for additional pathogens. Our systems are already being used extensively in the field due to their ease-of-use, minimal training requirements and fast administration time.”
Source: Company Press Release