Accelerating the development of vaccine microarray patches for epidemic response and equitable immunization coverage requires investment in microarray patch manufacturing facilities

ABSTRACT

Introduction

There is a need for investment in manufacturing for vaccine microarray patches (vMAPs) to accelerate vMAP development and access. vMAPs could transform vaccines deployment and reach to everyone, everywhere.

Areas covered

We outline vMAPs’ potential benefits for epidemic preparedness and for outreach in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), share lessons learned from pandemic response, and highlight that investment in manufacturing-at-risk could accelerate vMAP development.

Expert opinion

Pilot manufacturing capabilities are needed to produce clinical trial material and enable emergency response. Funding vMAP manufacturing scale-up in parallel to clinical proof-of-concept studies could accelerate vMAP approval and availability. Incentives could mitigate the risks of establishing multi-vMAP manufacturing facilities early.

KEYWORDS:

• Microarray patches
• microneedle patches
• vaccine delivery
• pandemic preparedness
• coverage and equity
• product development
• pilot manufacturing facilities
• vaccine manufacturing
• vaccine development incentives
• De-risking strategies

Article highlights

• vMAPs could transform vaccine delivery for epidemic response and outreach in LMICs.

• vMAPs are not yet authorized; it is not expected that any vMAP will be approved for use without establishing a manufacturing line or facility. Investing at risk could accelerate vMAP availability.

• Pandemic preparedness and response show that de-risking strategies accelerate vaccine innovations uptake.

• Cost sharing to build multi-vMAP facilities could de-risk investments, improve sustainability, and ensure availability in epidemics situations.

• The momentum and investments in pandemic preparedness provide an opportunity to advance vMAPs through global health stakeholder collaboration.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

PATH’s contribution to this paper was funded with UK aid from the UK government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under project 300341-112. WHO’s contribution to this manuscript was funded from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation under grant INV-005318. The authors alone are responsible for the views, opinions, and/or findings expressed in this article, and these do not necessarily represent the views, decisions, or policies of the institutions with which they are affiliated. In particular, these views do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. They also should not be construed as an official US Department of Defense or Department of the Army position, policy, or decision.