Forward Media

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Nanoparticles, defined as very fine particles ranging in size from one to 100 nanometers, are increasingly being used in a variety of medical and other applications as a means to achieve goals that were previously unattainable. The particles are of great scientific interest because their properties are often distinct from those of the larger amounts of the same material. Depending upon the material, these properties include color, melting points, electromagnetic characteristics, etc. In vaccine delivery, some developers are using nano particles to more precisely deliver vaccine payloads. For example, privately-held Liquidia Technologies uses its Particle Replication In Non-Wetting Templates (PRINT) technology to create nanoparticles that can improve the safety and efficacy of injected vaccines, using less antigen without an additional adjuvant. The PRINT Platform creates rationally designed nanoparticles with complete control over particle size, shape, composition and surface chemistry in a controlled and scalable manufacturing process. Each of these variables can be optimized for a specific immunogenic response. For conjugate polysaccharide vaccines, PRINT can simply mold a protein and polysaccharide together in a single particle, improving production. In early 2011, Liquidia announced a collaboration with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative to explore the use of PRINT to design next generation malaria vaccines as well as a $10M investment to support this research by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

These promising developments in new vaccines and the way they are produced and delivered should make for a robust market opportunity in years to come. *source