Vector Science and Therapeutics has introduced its investigational peptide-matrix microneedle technology, a dissolving microneedle platform designed to deliver peptides and other large-molecule therapeutics through the skin without conventional hypodermic injections.
The technology extends Vector’s advanced transdermal delivery programme and is designed to complement Vector’s cGMP-manufactured Rx peptides, manufactured using pharma-grade Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API).
Therapeutic peptides, proteins and other large-molecule drugs are difficult to deliver through the skin because of their size, hydrophilicity and susceptibility to degradation.
The skin’s outer layer, the stratum corneum, blocks meaningful penetration of many peptides. As a result, injections remain the standard route of administration, bringing needle aversion, inconvenience, adherence challenges and administration costs.
Rather than encapsulating the therapeutic peptide in a conventional carrier, Vector’s approach uses the peptide as a predominant structural component of a microscopic dissolvable needle.
The projections are designed to penetrate the outer skin barrier and deposit peptide-rich material into the underlying tissue, where interstitial fluid dissolves the needle and releases the peptide. The platform design includes static patches and a handheld roller with replaceable peptide-rich needle cartridges.
Potential benefits include high drug loading with less inactive carrier material; minimally invasive administration; simpler application in clinical or self-care settings; direct, localised deposition at the target tissue; and flexible designs for regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal care, wound management, dermatology and selected systemic therapies. These potential benefits remain subject to testing and validation.
