Development of an extremely efficient nebulizer for intranasal vaccination

Extremely Efficient Nebulizer for Intranasal Vaccination. Specifically the nasal delivery device could reduce health care associated infections by providing a needle-free method of delivery of vaccines and therapeutics which are currently delivered by injection with all the attendant risks of transmission of blood borne disease through needle-stick injury and unsafe needle practices. One of the most important potential benefits of needle-free delivery is the reduction of HIV transmission, by reducing the risks associated with needle-stick injury and unsafe needle practices, as above, but also by providing an efficient delivery system for mucosal vaccination. A nasally delivered vaccine might provide a critical advantage by providing mucosal immunity to HIV in the reproductive tract, preventing infection at the entry site before the virus can damage the immune system. Mucosal immunity from a nasally delivered vaccine may also knock down virus levels in the reproductive tract of infected individuals, reducing the risk of transmission. The objective of this potential project is to develop a unique ultra-compact intranasal nebulizer that can be inserted into the nares to provide extremely high delivery efficiency without a nasal prong. This will be an optimal platform for large-scale vaccination, as well as the intranasal delivery of other therapeutics. The device will dramatically increase the fraction of the vaccine delivered through the nasal valve and to the immunologically sensitive regions of the nasal tract. The approach is based on the innovative Disposable Drug Cartridge (DDC) technology Creare developed under previous CDC funding and extends this technology to a miniaturized format that can be inserted within the naris.