Ultrasound and Other Vaccine Delivery Systems Coming Soon
- by Natasha Hobley
- Published December 18, 2023
- Vaccines
Vaccinations are often associated with needles and syringes. But that may change significantly in the near future as the growth trajectory for the Global Needle-Free Injectors industry is anticipated to surge in the next decade.1
The pharmaceutical industry has continued to receive large amounts of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as United States government health agencies to develop innovative vaccine administration techniques without the use of a syringe, such as delivery through ultrasound. Last month, the Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a total of more than $31 million in grants to various pharmaceutical companies to advance the manufacturing of needle free vaccine systems.2
COVID “Reinvigorated” Interest in More Efficient Vaccine Delivery
Scientists have been developing needle-free vaccines known as microarray patches (MAPs) for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic reinvigorated and fueled the interest.2
The driving force behind the massive growth is a demand for delivery systems that are faster and more efficient. Advocates for these systems believe they will help lower barriers to access and help overcome logistical obstacles hindering vaccine deployment. GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, an organization partially founded by the Gates Foundation, which works to increase access to vaccines in poor countries, states that MAPs will ensure that “these lifesaving interventions reach everyone, everywhere, as quickly as possible” and could also ensure rapid deployment in the event of future epidemics or pandemics.1
Pfizer a Key Player in Needle-Free Technology Development
The U.S. has a significant financial stake in the Global Needle Free Injectors industry, with Germany, Japan, and China also accelerating development of needle free technologies. Key pharmaceutical companies in the needle free vaccine market include U.S.-based companies Pfizer, Inc. and Antares Pharma, Inc.; German company Gerresheimer AG; Australian company CSL Limited, and others.1
Vaccines Delivered Via Ultrasound
Earlier this month, news outlets reported that researchers at Oxford University successfully developed a needle-free vaccine delivered through the skin via ultrasound. Lead researcher Darcy Dunn-Lawless and his colleagues mixed vaccine molecules with tiny, cup-shaped molecules made of protein then applied the liquid mixture to the skin of mice. The ultrasound was able to push the mixture into the upper layers of the skin.
The researchers found that, while the ultrasound method delivered 700 times fewer vaccine molecules than needles, the animals produced more antibodies. The technology is still being developed.3
Other needle-free vaccine systems include a nasal patch;4 a gas-based system which delivers via a puff of air;5 edible vaccines;6 and a jet injector, which uses “a high-pressure, narrow stream of fluid to penetrate the skin.” The jet injector is already approved for use in the AFLURIA Quadrivalent flu vaccine.7
In August of 2022, the University of Adelaide in Australia began a human trial of delivering an Omicron COVID booster shot using a Jetstream system.1
The needle-free vaccine market is anticipated to surge at a 12 percent compound annual growth rate over the next decade and reach a valuation of $42.79 billion.1
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