Start-up NanoPass Technologies announced today that it, together with GlaxoSmithKline’s Biopharmaceutical Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery, has secured a £450,000 grant from the Britech Foundation to optimize a new method of vaccine delivery.
Called the MicroPyramid technology, this method offers the possibility to effectively and painlessly administer vaccines intra-epidermally. Conventional needles are too large to do this, and other transdermal technologies are either incapable of, or are inefficient at delivering large molecules.
NanoPass founder Shuki Yeshurun noted that, “there is potential this technology may lower the amount of dose required to provide the same immune response, reduce the need for boosts, or potentially improve the protection rate by stimulating multiple immune pathways.”
NanoPass CEO Dr. Yotam Levin MD said that grant, "will support our development efforts for the next two years, and will allow us to expedite our progress. Britech officials have been extremely supportive throughout the process of the application and its approval.”
Britech chief executive Tony Warwick stated, “It is a perfect example of the benefits to be gained through UK-Israel collaboration, harnessing the technology synergies between the two countries."
NanoPass has several active collaborations underway in various application fields and is about to launch a new round of financing. Founded in 2000, the company is venture backed by the Ofer Group.
The Britech Foundation is a government-backed bilateral organization providing active support for collaborative R&D ventures between UK and Israeli companies. Since its start in late 1999, it has provided support for hundreds of UK and Israeli companies in identifying opportunities for collaboration, finding suitable technology partners, and through the financial support of The Britech Fund for more than thirty development projects covering a wide range of technologies. Britech’s initial five-year charter was renewed by the two governments in late 2004, and two new funding schemes will be announced soon under the ‘Britech 2’ initiative.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on Wednesday, April 20, 2005