Grant: Idea to Innovation

Mucosal vaccine adjuvants represent a more effective approach to vaccine delivery that addresses key limitations of traditional injection-based vaccines. Current vaccines, which are administered primarily by injections, fail to provide protective immunity at the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts. This deficiency can be addressed by mucosal vaccination through nasal spray or orally. The commercial mucosal vaccines currently on the market, however, rely on the use of killed, weakened, or live pathogens to stimulate the immune system, which poses a potential safety risk. Our technology will enable safer vaccination through nasal spray or oral administration by removing the need to use whole cell pathogens in the formulation. We propose to conduct a market assessment for the potential of our patented mucosal vaccine adjuvants in the formulation of vaccines against infectious diseases. The proposed assessment will provide insights into the potential hurdles for this technology, comparisons with other competitor adjuvants, and guidance for appropriate steps in commercial development of these adjuvants.