According to FluGen, the easy-to-use, disposable micro-device, roughly the size of a poker chip, painlessly delivers seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines.
The vaccine-delivery technology also may improve vaccination rates because of the pain-free, easy-to-use delivery it affords, the company said.
FluGen will begin preclinical testing of the micro-device with the company’s cell-based trivalent influenza vaccines (TIVs) in 2009. The company anticipates submitting an investigational new drug application for its vaccine-loaded micro-device to the FDA during the second half of 2010 and hopes to enter a Phase I clinical trial upon its approval, by the end of 2010.
Paul Radspinner, president and CEO of FluGen, said: “This exciting vaccine-delivery technology from Ratio is an important expansion of FluGen’s product pipeline. It will allow the company to offer the $6-billion influenza vaccine market not only superior vaccines, but an easy-to-use, painless delivery technology that increases vaccine effectiveness. FluGen looks forward to advancing this valuable product through our pipeline with one or more TIVs.”