COVID-19 Vaccine Delivered Via Dermal Patch Applied to Skin Begins Pre-Clinical Testing

Verndari, Inc. (Napa, CA, USA), a biopharmaceutical company, will begin preclinical testing this week of a potential COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine, which will be administered using its patented VaxiPatch, a microneedle array dermal patch.

Verndari has developed the potential COVID-19 vaccine using single, purified protein antigens produced by genetic engineering in a process that has proven to be extremely reliable. The vaccine candidate uses the COVID-19 “spike” protein that enables the virus to infect human cells.

Verndari’s unique VaxiPatch is a complete single-dose vaccination kit that uses a dermal patch with a microneedle array to deliver vaccines to the arm. The technology eliminates the need for refrigeration, a major cost factor in vaccination, and facilitates high-volume, automated manufacturing of vaccines. The vaccine technology can be used for both existing vaccines and new vaccines developed to meet emerging threats.

The VaxiPatch kit reduces or eliminates the reliance on healthcare professionals to administer vaccines and the need for sterile use of a needle and syringe. The vaccination is accomplished with a painless microneedle patch applied to the arm, which can potentially be self-administered. Vaccine delivery to the skin rather than an intramuscular injection has advantages including production of a stronger immune response. It also has the promise of requiring the use of a significantly smaller dose of vaccine as compared to the traditional injection.

Preclinical testing of immune response has begun at the University of California, Davis’ Mouse Biology Program. Verndari is also in discussions with the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis to conduct further testing in nonhuman primates. If the preclinical testing meets safety and efficacy goals, Phase 1 human clinical trials would begin

“Verndari, Inc. was founded to enable a rapid response to new viral threats as well as to produce more effective vaccinations for existing viruses, such as seasonal flu, while sharply reducing costs and making vaccine administration much simpler,” said Daniel R. Henderson, Ph.D., CEO, and chief scientific officer of Verndari, Inc. “Our new approach and previous vaccine work have enabled us to quickly develop a potential vaccine for COVID-19. UC Davis provides a world-class forum for testing with leading researchers and a full spectrum of supporting capabilities.”

“We are excited to work with Verndari, Inc. to move its vaccine candidate through preclinical, and potentially clinical, studies,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis. “This collaboration illustrates one of many ways that UC Davis is leveraging our unique expertise and established platform built on previous research for HIV, Zika and human cytomegalovirus in order to advance knowledge and solutions specific to COVID-19.”

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