In a conversation with Shereen Bhan from CNBC-TV18, Gates expressed optimism about the evolution of next-generation vaccines. He highlighted the potential for these vaccines to offer longer-lasting protection, broader coverage, and a shift away from traditional needle-based administration.
“We make sure that for all these vaccines, there’s enough capacity; there’s competition. So the prices keep going down, and we will have new vaccines,” Gates stated. He further elaborated, “We’ll have a TB vaccine, malaria vaccine, HIV vaccine, and even the things like COVID vaccines; we need to make them have longer duration, more coverage. And we’re going to change instead of using a needle to use a little patch. So the pandemic really highlighted that we’ve been underinvested in those innovations, and our partners in India are part of how we’re going to get these breakthrough products done.”
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Gates, whose philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recently invested $23.6 million in U.S.-based Micron Biomedical, underscored the significance of affordable, accessible, and innovative vaccine solutions. This investment is aimed at the development of needle-free vaccine technology, utilizing a patch-like device with dissolvable microneedles.
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Micron Biomedical, in a recent announcement, stated, “Micron Biomedical, a life science company developing first-in-class dissolvable microarray-based products that simplify and improve the transport, storage, and administration of drugs and vaccines, today announced a $23.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will fund mass production of needle-free vaccines.”
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The company further revealed that the grant would facilitate the commercialization of the first microarray technology-based measles-rubella vaccine, intended for children as young as 9 months, upon approval by the relevant regulatory authorities after additional clinical study.
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In many low- and middle-income countries, measles continues to be a leading cause of death, primarily due to limited access to vaccines that necessitate refrigeration during transport and storage, and trained clinicians for administration.
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Micron is working on a needle-free version of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine using its microarray technology. This technology eliminates the need for a cold chain and allows a community health worker to vaccinate a child within minutes by applying the technology to the skin and pressing a button that confirms administration. This method of vaccine administration is virtually pain-free.