PULSE
Microneedle skin patches
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GLOBAL CHALLENGES:
Public Health
TO ADMINISTER VACCINES
WHAT ARE MICRONEEDLES? Traditional hypodermic needles can be frightening and painful for children and adults alike. Microneedles could improve patient compliance and therefore yield better health outcomes. Microneedles are tiny needles, measured in millionths of a metre (μm), designed to deliver medicines through the skin. They have more in common with transdermal patches, such as those used to deliver nicotine to help people give up smoking, than with hypodermic needles. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Dr Michael Graz, Chief Scientific Officer of Innoture, explains: “OUR TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THE NHS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. THE PATCH IS PAINLESS AND MINIMALLY INVASIVE FOR PATIENTS TO SELF-ADMINISTER. “AT A TIME WHEN SELF- ISOLATION IS NECESSARY, THE PATCH CAN BE APPLIED WITH EASE IN THE HOME UNDER GUIDANCE FROM A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL, REDUCING THE NEED FOR PEOPLE TO ATTEND A CLINIC.”
A revolutionary new way to give vaccines through microneedle skin patches is being tested at Swansea University, thanks to £200,000 of EU funding announced by the Welsh Government. The COVID-19 pandemic is giving extra urgency to the search for vaccines and new ways of delivering them. This important research is being conducted by Innoture , a leading UK company with expertise in applying medicines through the skin. This represents a significant milestone for Innoture, and further validation of their next-generation transdermal delivery system. The innovative technology has the potential to make a meaningful difference to improve patient and public health in Wales and beyond.
Innoture has worked with Swansea University since 2012. The company’s R&D department is based in the University’s Institute of Life Science, (ILS) where research has been conducted in collaboration with the University’s Centre for Nanohealth. The research will develop and test technology for delivering a vaccine dose via the skin. It will also test a simple and secure disposal process, which would allow the patches to be administered at home.
NEVER BEFORE HAS PUBLIC HEALTH HAD SUCH A PROMINENCE IN EVERYONE’S DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
At the peak of the UK’s second lockdown and at the dawn of the mass vaccination programme, Dr Ruth Hopkins, Director for Public Health Policy at Swansea University was interviewed by Sky News about her view of the effect of vaccine rollout on Public Health. The introduction of the vaccine programme is key in helping to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic. In January 2021, we were seeing 4,000 admissions into hospitals every day and normally during this period of time we would only see 1,000 admissions to hospital “ with respiratory ailments. At the time of this interview, there were 32,000 people in hospitals and that impacts on everybody. We all have a responsibility. The vaccination doesn’t give you instant protection against the virus. We still have to maintain the other things we have been asked to do – we still must act as though we have the virus as it is going to come in waves. This is a global pandemic and as a nation we also need to think about how we are going to support the developing world. Whilst we
“We all have a responsibility”
Dr Ruth Hopkins
The award of £200,000 for the research comes from the Welsh Government via SMARTCymru 2014- 2020 European Regional Development Fund, West Wales and the Valleys. This supports Welsh businesses to develop, implement and commercialise new products, processes and services.
could all be vaccinated here in the UK and other wealthier countries, the virus will still be prevalent in the developing world. We need to think about the role we’re going to play in supporting these countries to roll out their vaccines. We are going to have to amend our behaviour. When you look back at the 1918 Spanish Flu, it lasted a couple of years and so we need to be as cautious now as we
were then. The vaccination is an important tool and we are at a very critical point now with the NHS. We need to remember that this pandemic is not just going to disappear. It will eventually filter out as we tackle it and as the vaccines become globally available. But we must ensure that we still maintain those measures that are asked of us in accordance with public health research.
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