GRONINGEN, The Netherlands — January 01, 2021 — Innocore Pharmaceuticals, a Dutch pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of polymer-based long-acting injectables, has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund to develop a biodegradable polymer-based microneedle array patch for effective and simplified vaccine administration. The project draws on the combined expertise of academic and industry partners, including the University of Groningen, UMCG, and Innocore Pharmaceuticals.
Annually, the influenza epidemic causes significant stress on the Dutch healthcare system and economy. However, conventional vaccination acceptance remains low at 21% in 2020, primarily due to the discomfort and inconvenience associated with hypodermic needle injections. The consortium, led by Innocore Pharmaceuticals, is set to leverage microneedle technology to create a pain-free and discreet method for delivering influenza vaccines. The use of InnoCore’s biodegradable polymers is meant to extend the release duration of the vaccine and thus increase its efficacy.
This project aims to create a more patient-friendly, efficient influenza vaccination method using biodegradable microneedles. Microneedle administration simplifies the process, eliminates the need for skilled medical personnel, reduces procedure costs, and lessens the burden on the healthcare system—making it an ideal solution for pandemic vaccination programs.
The grant will facilitate pre-clinical work, which includes the assessment of the technical feasibility of delivering influenza subunit vaccines via the microneedle patch and the assessment of the effectiveness of sustained-release vaccines. The project objectives are as follows:
- Development of biodegradable polymers for microneedle fabrication.
- Creation of a cost-effective production process for polymer-based microneedles.
- Microneedle development for sustained release of influenza vaccine subunits and other antigens.
- Proof-of-concept tests for sustained-release vaccines in animal models.
With this project, Innocore Pharmaceuticals reaffirms its commitment to leveraging its expertise in long-acting injectables to bring innovative solutions to healthcare.
About Innocore Pharmaceuticals:
Innocore Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical drug delivery and development company focused on the development and clinical manufacturing of injectable sustained release drug delivery products for the treatment of chronic and site-specific diseases. Utilizing its proprietary SynBiosys® and InGellTM biodegradable polymeric drug delivery platforms, InnoCore develops long-acting injectable depots in the form of microparticles, implants and gels for precisely controlled delivery of therapeutic compounds, including small molecules, peptides and proteins. Over the years, InnoCore's versatile drug delivery platforms have shown their safety and effectiveness in several pre-clinical and clinical trials. Since its inception in 2003, InnoCore has successfully established partnerships with biomedical, biotech and pharmaceutical companies. In 2013, the first product with InnoCore's SynBiosys® drug delivery technology incorporated received regulatory approval and is now available in the market. Innocore Pharmaceuticals is privately owned and located in Groningen, The Netherlands. For more information, visit www.innocorepharma.com
