Less Painful, More Convenient Antibody Treatments

Load it up. Column (a) shows how the high dose, slow release microneedle antibody patch (MA) works. PLGA is a biodegradable polymer that can be tuned to degrade faster or slower. The middle image shows microneedles made of differently tuned PLGA represented by different colors. The graph on the bottom shows how the patch keeps blood levels of antibodies (Ab) in a certain range, with little spikes as the different PLGA microneedles dissolve and release their antibodies into the bloodstream over 30 days. Column (b) shows the high dose powder-filling method the team developed. It can deliver doses of 4 to 5mg of antibodies per square centimeter of patch. The traditional technology shown in column (c) can deliver only much lower doses.

A timed-release patch made of biodegradable polymer could make antibody treatments more accessible and safer

UConn Today