Orlance, Inc., announced in October 2024 that it has been awarded a National Institutions of Health (NIH) Fast Track Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop an Enhanced Seasonal Influenza Vaccine that provides “better protection against disease” even in years when there is a mismatch between predicted and actual circulating strains. The award includes $300,000 for Phase I; the total funding for the Phase I and II combined programme amounts to $3.3 million. The grant enables Orlance to leverage its innovative MACH-1 powdered vaccine and immunotherapy platform to address both seasonally changing and highly conserved influenza immunogens.
MACH-1 for influenza
MACH-1 is a high-performance microparticle ‘gene gun’ technology that “efficiently and uniquely” delivers DNA or RNA vaccine-coated microparticles into cells in the epidermis, which is “rich in immune stimulating cells”. An advantage of this technology in comparison with currently licensed mRNA vaccines is that MACH-1-delivered vaccines are stable at room temperature and are painless and needle-free. These vaccines also offer protective levels of immunity with the “smallest doses yet achieved within the field”.
The grant will enable a project to address the limitations of current flu vaccines by broadening the number of influenza strains targeted in one vaccine. This means vaccine production can occur closer to influenza season and achieve a better match between predicted and actual circulating strains. It will also stimulate “more diverse types of immune responses” in systemic and localised cells. The programme builds on Orlance’s universal influenza vaccine, adding seasonally changing influenza antigens to maximise protection.
Excelling in the field
Orlance’s Head of Research and Development and Principal Investigator Dr Kenneth Bagley commented on the importance of the MACH-1 technology.
“The unique properties of MACH-1 delivery into the highly immune competent epidermis that generates potent systemic and local respiratory mucosal antibody- and T cell-mediate immunity, coupled with the large payload capacity of DNA vaccines, may allow for Orlance’s universal influenza vaccine to excel where other universal vaccines have failed.”
Kristyn Aalto, CEO of Orlance, recognised the “continued funding support” from NIH.
“[The] support of the MACH-1 platform including this enhanced seasonal influenza vaccine reinforces the potential impact and significant step forward MACH-1 can bring to vaccine technology.”
We welcome Kristyn to the Congress in Barcelona this month for the Mucosal and Alternative Delivery workshop; get your tickets to join us for this here, and don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletters here.
