Serum microneedle 12 times more effective
Active R&D on medicines such as allergies and vaccines
“Microneedles are a scalable technology that can be used not only in the beauty industry but also in the pharmaceutical field.”
The Microneedle Society announced this at the inaugural general meeting and first academic conference held at the Avison Hall of Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 15th. The Microneedle Society was founded by academia, the medical community, industry, and regulatory agencies. The purpose is to explore and share the development and application of microneedle technology and build a healthy ecosystem.
Microneedles are similar to wet bandages applied to wounds. The difference is that the drug in the form of microneedles is attached to the adhesive band. When a patch is applied, the drug in the form of microneedles is absorbed into the skin over time. It is a next-generation technology that can be applied to various fields such as treatments, vaccines, and cosmetics.
In Korea La PazQuad Medicine, Zubic, Daewoong Therapeutics, Qtis, Dermajec, LG Household & Health Care, TNL, and Small Lab are conducting various developments related to microneedles.
Ju-kyung Joo, director of Small Lab Research Institute, who attended as a speaker on this day, gave a presentation on microneedles in the beauty industry. Director Joo said, “The efficacy is up to 12 times different when the serum is applied directly to the skin and when the serum is delivered with a microneedle,” adding, “Acne, skin brightness, elasticity, lifting, pore size, wrinkles around the eyes, nasolabial folds, etc. “In clinical trials, it has been confirmed that microneedle cosmetics are more effective,” he said.
In particular, the beauty field is making a significant contribution to generating profits for microneedle companies. Raphas also has a diverse product line of cosmetics to conduct stable research and development (R&D) on prescription drugs based on platform technology. Currently, the Maeyong field accounts for most of sales.
Director Joo said, “Many microneedle developers are entering the cosmetics market primarily to generate quick profits. However, cosmetics and prescription drugs are not completely separate, and the research is connected to each other to create synergy.” did it
Professor Joong-won Park of Yonsei University (Director of the Allergy and Asthma Center at Severance Hospital) presented on research on microneedles for allergy immunotherapy. Professor Park said, “As a result of comparing the microneedle delivery method with the general treatment dosing method for house dust allergy, wheat allergy, etc. in non-clinical studies, the microneedle has the same efficacy even at 1/10th the dose.” He added, “In particular, the most important indicator in allergy, “IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 are clearly reduced in microneedles,” he said.
In Korea, Raphas is conducting phase 1 clinical trials for DF19001, a microneedle allergy immunotherapy treatment. The drug is being administered to a total of 54 allergic rhinitis patients. It is expected that phase 1 clinical data for DF19001 will be available in the first half of next year.
In addition, Quad Medicine is speeding up vaccine development. QMV-24KRP is a hepatitis B vaccine microneedle patch. It was developed by Quad Medicine and the International Vaccine Research Institute is conducting phase 1 clinical trials. It is expected that the microneedle-type vaccine will be able to increase the hepatitis B vaccination rate even in low-income countries where cold chain distribution is difficult.
Reporter Kim Yu-rim youforest@hankyung.com
