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This workshop report explores key challenges in vaccine formulation, particularly for needle-free administration routes, and considers how the Vax-Hub should address these challenges.
On 31 May 2022, the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (the ‘Vax-Hub) held an online sandpit workshop to discuss needle-free administration routes for vaccines, the potential benefits that these might offer, and how the Vax-Hub should prioritise formulation studies in the next phase of their research. The workshop brought together the Vax-Hub team with a range of national and international stakeholders involved in vaccine development, manufacturing, delivery, and policy.
Key points
- Adopting needle-free technologies such as tablets, inhalers, and microarray patches could lead to greater-shelf life and better temperature stability vaccines that are easy to administer.
- Although needle-free administration routes are promising, there remain challenges to be overcome in efficacy, regulation, cost and manufacturability.
- To have the largest impact on global supply chains and vaccine availability, a primary goal for vaccine formulation should be achieving better thermostability for storage at ambient temperatures.
Download the Opportunities in needle-free formulation report [PDF]
Funder
EPSRC and the Department of Health and Social Care
Lead researchers
Professor Martina Micheletti (UCL Biochemical Engineering), Professor Sarah Gilbert (University of Oxford Pandemic Sciences Institute)
Output type
Workshop report
PIU lead
Dr Penny Carmichael