Human Testing of New Skin Patch Vaccines Has Begun

A novel approach to giving vaccines may change the face of immunizing.  Vaccines in the form of skin patches may be available within the near future.  Iomai Corp., the patch developer, has begun the first-stage testing of flu vaccine patches in 270 volunteers to determine the patches’ safety and whether recipients develop as many flu antibodies as those given standard flu shots.  Patches have also been designed to protect against an E. coli strain called ETEC, which is a leading cause of travelers’ diarrhea.  This patch against travelers’ diarrhea is being tested in a study with 300 participants spending at least two weeks in Mexico or Guatemala, visiting prespecified clinic sites to determine how many develop diarrhea.  The travelers’ diarrhea patch has already passed preliminary testing last year when patch recipients at Johns Hopkins University consumed the bacteria and suffered less diarrhea than their unvaccinated counterparts. 

            The National Institutes of Health, hoping to gain extra help if bird flu or some other flu triggers a pandemic, is helping fund patch research.  Another promise of this new technology may be in developing countries, because unlike syringe-based vaccines, patches will not need refrigeration or pose the infection risk of reused needles.  Skin patch vaccines could also facilitate the accessibility of immunizations throughout rural parts of the United States.  Another goal of the patch technology is stimulation of the immune system to boost a vaccine’s effects, allowing doctors to use lower vaccine doses. 

Additional years of work are needed to acquire evidence that patches are safe and effective.  Vaccines are made up of larger proteins than other medications that are delivered through patches, such as nicotine and hormones, and pose a challenge to skin penetration.  Iomai’s method of administration consists of removing dead surface skin using a device that contains sandpaper.  The vaccine patch is then placed over the prepped skin and is worn for six hours.  The goal is to get the vaccine to the epidermis where the Langerhans cells, a major component of the immune system, can be activated.  The Langerhans cells would take the vaccine and migrate to the lymph nodes, creating an immune response. 

Reference: 

http://health.msn.com/healthnews

Lucy Dalzot, PharmD. Candidate