University of Cambridge Receives Multi-million Dollar Funding for Clinical Trial Using PharmaJet's Needle-free System to Deliver Vaccine to Prevent COVID-19

Innovative vaccine clinical trial preparations are underway

PharmaJet^®, the maker of innovative, needle-free injection technology, today announced that its Needle-free Injection System will be used to deliver a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in a clinical trial. The vaccine developed by DIOSynVax, a spinoff company supported by the University of Cambridge in the UK, recently received multi-million dollar funding from the UK government to move forward with a clinical trial. Preparations for the clinical trial are well underway and the trial will begin as soon as possible. The PharmaJet System was chosen due to its record of increasing the efficacy of nucleic acid-based vaccines and therapeutics.

DIOSynVax's innovative approach uses computer modeling of the virus's structure to identify the distinct genetic code. The combined artificial intelligence and synthetic biology approach allows for development of a vaccine that is specific to developing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Dr. Jonathan Heeney, CEO of DIOSynVax, commented on the development of this vaccine, "Our approach using synthetic DNA to deliver custom designed, immune selected vaccine antigens, is revolutionary and is ideal for complex viruses such as coronavirus. If successful, it will result in a vaccine that should be safe for widespread use that can be manufactured and distributed at low cost."

Professor Saul Faust, Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Southampton Clinical Research Facility where the clinical trial will take place, added, "It is especially exciting that the clinical trial will test giving the vaccine through people's skin using a device without any needles as together with stable DNA vaccine technology, this could be a major breakthrough in being able to give a future vaccine to huge numbers of people across the world."

"We are pleased to be collaborating with the University of Cambridge and DIOSynVax as the delivery system for their vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2," commented Chris Cappello, President and CEO, PharmaJet. "Our Needle-free Systems have been proven to improve the immune response for multiple RNA/DNA-based vaccines as well as being used to eradicate diseases such as influenza, measles and polio."

For more information about PharmaJet visit www.pharmajet.com.

Watch the video featured on BBC, "The COVID vaccine that won't need needles."

Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks.

About PharmaJet

PharmaJet's mission is worldwide acceptance of PharmaJet Needle-free Injection Systems as a standard of care in the vaccine delivery market. The PharmaJet Needle-free Systems are safe, fast and easy-to-use. They eliminate needlestick injuries, needle reuse and cross contamination, and help reduce sharps waste disposal. The Stratis^® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis^® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. For more information visit www.pharmajet.com.

About DIOSynVax

DIOSynVax is a spin-out company from the University of Cambridge, set up in 2017 with the support of Cambridge Enterprise, the University's commercialization arm. Their DIOSynVax (Digitally designed, Immune Optimised Selected and Synthesized Vaccines) technology will significantly accelerate vaccine antigen development and achieve dramatic improvements to the protection against emerging and re-emerging pathogens such as influenza, COVID-19, and viral haemorrhagic fevers. For more information, visit https://www.diosvax.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201027005031/en/