Vaxxas, an international clinical-stage biotechnology company with offices in the United States and Australia, has received AU$5.4 million ($3.67 million) grant from Wellcome Trust, a UK-based health foundation, to conduct a first-in-human clinical study for a typhoid vaccine delivered through a patch. 

Vaxxas engineered the proprietary high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) platform technology, which is expected to be completed within two years. The vaccine formulation used to coat the HD-MAP will be based on SKYTyhpoid, an approved typhoid conjugate vaccine that was jointly developed by Vaxxas’s collaborator in the project, SK bioscience, and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). The patch vaccine is expected to be a more stable alternative to needle and syringe vaccination due to its improved thermostability.

Unlike traditional vaccines, HD-MAP does not require cold-chain distribution and storage, making it more cost-effective and easier to transport and store—both significant barriers to vaccine accessibility in lower- and middle-income countries. The HD-MAP also has the benefit of potentially requiring less training to administer and even allow for self-administration.

“To help protect more people at risk from deadly diseases like typhoid fever, new vaccine innovations are needed to improve access and ensure equitable coverage,” said Wellcome senior research manager Pierre Balard. “Vaxxas’ high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) is an important step in this direction. With the potential to overcome some of the most enduring barriers to vaccine access in lower income countries, this product could be a vital addition to our global toolkit.”

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