Abion said on Wednesday that a joint animal study with Raphas to develop its Covid-19 DNA vaccine based on portable electro-attached microneedle patches under the support of the RIGHT Foundation’s technical acceleration award (TAA), has attained the first milestone showing strong antibody titers.

As a result, Abion has been conducting joint research with Raphas, a company specializing in microneedle patches, to immunize its Covid-19 DNA vaccine through portable electroporation by mounting it on microneedle patches.

In the study, the Covid-19 DNA vaccine was attached to the skin of the hamster through microneedles, electroporation was performed, and antibody production was confirmed at a similar level to that of conventional needle injection DNA delivery methods in animals.

Electroporation, one of the DNA vaccine delivery methods, is most efficiently performed at high voltages of 90 volts but can be accompanied by pain and cause skin damage, making clinical application difficult. Accordingly, both companies designed and conducted tests to confirm cell delivery and expression of DNA vaccines at lower voltages such as 25 and 50 volts and successfully confirmed antibody titers above the efficacy standard (10^3).

Subsequently, Abion and Raphas are now conducting efficacy tests in hamsters immunized at low voltages to confirm whether they are infected by coronavirus through virus quantification.

Notably, when a vaccine using a microneedle patch is developed, it will not require cold chain logistics like present Covid-19 vaccines. Consequently, it will be easier to supply Covid-19 vaccines to low and middle-income countries where it is currently limited, said a company official.

Meanwhile, the RIGHT Foundation is established through a three-way collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Welfare, life science companies, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports research and development in the global health field to improve health equity in low and middle-income countries.