Thermostabilization of Influenza Vaccine for Microneedle Delivery

Influenza is responsible for several thousands of deaths around the world each year, yet is also one of the most preventable pathogenic infections. By receiving an influenza vaccination once per year, chances of death can be reduced by up to 70%. Currently, the clinical methods for vaccination involve the use of a hypodermic needle and syringe or an intranasal mist, both of which are severely limited with regards to ease of administration and maintaining vaccine integrity. A novel alternative to these methods is the use of microneedle patches with excipient stabilization, which allow for enhanced vaccine thermal stabilization as well as painless administration, reduced biohazardous sharps waste, potential self-administration, and high immunogenicity. This study looks at the various effects of stabilizers and storage conditions on the activity of vaccine proteins. Some of the promising results have shown that an ammonium acetate buffer in conjunction with excipient solutions of arginine, trehalose, and sucrose are able to preserve vaccine activity for at least six months at room temperature. Further research goals are to eliminate cold chain dependency and to decrease vaccine non-compliance in the population.