Painless Vaccines Through Nanopatch Technology

The University of Queensland's Professor Mark Kendall is in the spotlight this week for inventing vaccine-replacing technology: the Nanopatch.

Developed at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, the intention behind the invention is to replace the traditional need for the needle and syringe vaccine with a painless option.

The Nanopatch is already heralded as bring more effective than the current method of vaccination, with its potential to improve patient convenience, reduce needle-stick injuries and overcome cross contamination. Professor Kendall explained the technology: "the Nanopatch has thousands of small projections designed to deliver the vaccine to abundant immune cells in the skin, whereas the traditional syringe hits the muscle where there are fewer immune cells".

“It is designed for thermostability and may not need refrigeration, potentially making transport much cheaper and easier, particularly in developing nations," he said.

“Hopefully the technology will result in better access to vaccines in third-world countries, boosting global health."

Commercial progress with the Nanopatch technology is controlled by Vaxxas, a start-up company under UQ's commercialisation arm, UniQuest.