Words by GOLD newsdesk
Micron Biomedical, an Atlanta-based life sciences company, has received $3.7m in funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance research on its microarray vaccine technology. The approach aims to simplify vaccine administration and enhance global responses to future pandemics, addressing distribution hurdles identified during the COVID-19 crisis.
The technology, developed by Micron, features a thermostable, dissolvable microarray button that can deliver vaccines painlessly into the upper skin layers. Unlike traditional needles, this method does not require refrigeration and can be self-administered—potentially allowing vaccines to be mailed to homes and applied and removed as easily as a sticker.
In a press release, Steven Damon, CEO, Micron Biomedical, explained why he believes there is an urgent need for this innovation: “Novel viral threats unfortunately have an advantage over susceptible populations today, in part because conventional vaccines take too long to develop, are too hard to distribute and require too many resources to administer. Micron Biomedical’s goal is to change that by overcoming the most pressing barriers to vaccine and therapeutic access.”
The button-like technology has already shown promise. Clinical trials published in The Lancet demonstrated that Micron’s system safely immunised infants as young as nine months old against measles and rubella, producing similar immune responses to traditional injections. Another study found comparable results for a seasonal flu vaccine administered both by clinicians and self-applied by participants.
The CEPI grant will enable further research on combining Micron’s technology with a rapid-response vaccine platform developed by CastleVax. This platform uses the Newcastle disease virus, a harmless pathogen in humans, to create adaptable vaccines for emerging threats. The research will first target COVID-19, comparing the performance of Micron’s technology with standard intramuscular injections and nasal inhalation.
If successful, the collaboration could mark the first human trials of a rapid-response vaccine platform delivered without needles. Intradermal vaccine delivery—into the skin rather than muscle—is believed to enhance immune responses, further supporting this novel approach.
Dr Raafat Fahim, Acting Executive Director of Vaccine Manufacturing and Supply Chain, CEPI, praised the potential of the technology: “Micron Biomedical’s button-like technology is a very promising innovation in vaccine delivery and could pave the way for quick, easy and equitable vaccination when responding to future infectious disease outbreaks.”
