Australian clinical-stage biotechnology company Vaxxas has expanded its global intellectual property portfolio to 42 patents, supporting its exclusive claim to manufacture and sell its proprietary vaccination technology, the high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP), in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Vaxxas said its patent portfolio covers all significant proprietary aspects of its vaccine delivery platform and products, including the manufacture and use of the HD-MAP technology and novel applicator device.
This month, the latest patent issued to Vaxxas covers the specific design and use of the HD-MAP and applicator technology for vaccine delivery to the skin in the US.
Vaxxas CEO and President David Hoey said, “Vaxxas is aiming to transform the vaccine market by improving the performance of vaccines and reducing the economic and logistical challenges typically associated with needle-and-syringe vaccination.
“The growing breadth of our patent portfolio protects our exclusive use of the technologies necessary to achieve this goal, as well as freely manufacture and sell our products at commercial scale and in a safe and regulatory compliant manner.”
Vaxxas chief technology officer Dr Angus Forster said the company has intentionally built its global intellectual property portfolio.
“The coverage of Vaxxas’ issued patents, both geographically and technologically, sets us apart as we continue to mature our vaccination platform and expand our range of products,” said Dr Forster.
“In the past 24 months alone, we have filed seven new patent applications covering new aspects of our technology platform, including HD-MAP delivery of mRNA vaccines, the fastest growing segment of the vaccine market. These patent applications, if granted, would extend our cover through to 2045.”
Vaxxas said it is scaling up to manufacture and distribute the world’s first commercially available vaccine patches from its global headquarters and biomedical facility in Brisbane.
Vaxxas chief operating officer Scott Fry added, “Because we’re developing a combination product that includes a vaccine or medicine component with a medical device, we have broad patenting opportunities.
“We not only file patents around the vaccines we formulate and deliver, but also the systems and processes to manufacture the HD-MAPs and applicators at scale. This latest US patent is further evidence of the value our team of engineers brings to technology that could transform the vaccine industry.”
Vaxxas’ HD-MAP technology has completed five successful Phase 1 clinical trials involving over 500 participants with vaccines that address some of the world’s biggest health challenges including COVID-19, flu, and measles and rubella.
Vaxxas is currently conducting its first US IND-enabled Phase 1 clinical study for a pre-pandemic influenza vaccine involving 258 participants, with funding from the United States Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.