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AeroVax™
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AeroVax™ provides delivery of vaccines via the nose to the upper respiratory
tract for better immunological protection against viruses such as influenza. The
AeroVax™ platform incorporates state-of-the-art vibrating mesh technology within
a disposable drug cartridge. This key, patent-protected feature allows greater
patient convenience, elimination of the pain and hazardous disposal of traditional
needle-based intramuscular vaccination, and (based upon early animal data)
the
potential to provide better protection
with reduced vaccine doses.
This vaccine-
sparing benefit of AeroVax™ is a significant breakthrough to reduce the cost-of-
goods and eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks resulting from the seasonal
nature of influenza outbreaks.
Our near-term strategy is to fully develop and exploit the AeroVax™ platform
technology licensed from the CDC for the season influenza and pandemic
(H1N1) market. AerovectRx is developing a system to provide aerosol delivery
of vaccines to the upper respiratory tract for improved protection against disease,
to provide broad coverage of the highly variant subtypes of viruses, and to
provide convenient, needle-free solutions for mass immunizations. Our single
device and associated disposables can be used for a wide variety of childhood,
adolescent, and adult vaccines. However, we anticipate partnering first with
pharmaceutical vaccine manufacturers focused on influenza vaccines (including
H1N1) because they have proven effective in nasal delivery. We believe that we
have an opportunity to participate in the global response to Swine Flu, as we will
be a low-cost, high value therapeutic breakthrough in mucosal immunity that may
reduce the required therapeutic dose and thereby expand the available supply.
Because school-age children serve as infectious reservoirs of seasonal influenza
and bring the disease back into their homes and communities, the CDC’s
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended in 2008
that annual vaccination of all children aged 5-18 years is recommended. This
new recommendation greatly expands the recommended population of required
influenza vaccinations to include the 60 million school-age children in the United
States. AeroVax™ is a low-cost, highly effective delivery system that allows
school health administrators to easily vaccinate (without needles) in this new
market.
The market for vaccine drug revenues is growing rapidly and estimated at $21.5
billion worldwide by 2012. Of this, $4 billion is estimated to be associated with
vaccine drug delivery.
We are in preclinical testing with several major vaccine manufacturers in
collaboration with the University of Georgia and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
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