GC Pharma, a South Korean manufacturer of influenza vaccines, has partnered with Vaxess, a US-based biotechnology company, to commercialise its new refrigeration-free flu vaccine, dispensed through the latter’s Smart Release Patch.
The collaboration provides Vaxess with exclusive rights to commercialise MIMIX Flu Smart Release Patch in the US and Europe, and GC Pharma with rights for the South Korean market.
Vaxess CEO Michael Schrader said: “GC Pharma is continually pushing the bounds of innovation in the influenza vaccine space. We’re thrilled to work with them to improve upon the performance of existing vaccines while providing a novel product format that can dramatically increase global reach.”
Influenza viruses affect nearly 20% of the world’s population, and the suboptimal efficacy and patient compliance challenge constraints the public health impact of influenza vaccines.
MIMIX patch enhances HAI titers and influenza-specific T-cell responses
Vaxess has designed MIMIX patch to deliver medicines and vaccines through tiny silk microneedles that dissolve at a precisely engineered rate, releasing the treatment at required dose for the required time.
The patch technology is set to enhance the efficacy of FDA-approved influenza vaccines and is easy to distribute and administrate to patients, as it is virtually painless and applied like an adhesive bandage.
Through the use of sustained antigen presentation, the MIMIX smart release patch would reinforce responses against both vaccine-included and drifted influenza strains.
Vaxess said that the patch improves the efficacy of products across a broad range of therapeutic areas and enhances HAI titers and influenza-specific T-cell responses by mimicking the prolonged exposure period that occurs during a natural infection.
In addition, immunisation through its shelf-stable MIMIX patch would simplify the delivery, patient administration, and compliance.
The combination of influenza vaccine and MIMIX smart release patch technology is expected to create an effective collaboration between GC Pharma and Vaxess to commercialise the painless vaccine.