WHO selects PharmaJet Needle-free Injection System for Million+ Polio Vaccination Campaign

Needle-free System proven ideal for field vaccination campaigns due to ease-of-use, cost savings and increased coverage

GOLDEN, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PharmaJet^®, a company who has developed and commercialized an intradermal needle-free platform to more effectively administer drugs and biologics, today announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) selected the PharmaJet Tropis^® Needle-free Injection System (NFIS) for large polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan as part of a broader effort of coordinated campaigns between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 2.7 million children have been targeted for this program so far using the PharmaJet Tropis^® NFIS.

The WHO previously introduced needle-free intradermal delivery of inactivated polio vaccine (ID-IPV) using the PharmaJet Tropis NFIS in both Pakistan and Somalia for the immunization of over 3 million children. The published results from Pakistan¹, in addition to survey results from Somalia², showed that the Tropis NFIS is a preferred and effective solution for polio immunization campaigns that can increase campaign coverage by over 18%. The PharmaJet Tropis^® NFIS was selected based on its proven cost savings, ease of training and improved coverage benefits.

In June, WHO’s thirty-second polio International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee statement, was convened by the WHO Director-General to review the progress on global eradication of polio. Leaders were concerned about the recent outbreak in Pakistanwhereimmunization progress has been impeded, due to vaccine hesitancy and local community engagement challenges.³ Modelling suggests that a failure to eradicate polio in these last two endemic countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) could result in a global resurgence in wild polio transmission, leading to 200,000 new polio cases annually within 10 years.⁴

Chris Cappello, President and CEO, PharmaJet commented, “We are pleased to continue our partnership with the World Health Organization in their effort to eradicate polio. Our previous joint campaigns in Pakistan demonstrated an increase in vaccination coverage due to the preference of our technology. We are glad to be part of the fight to stop this terrible disease impacting children globally.”

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

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

¹ Daly, C. et al, Needle-free injectors for mass administration of fractional dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine in Karachi, Pakistan: A survey of caregiver and vaccinator acceptability, Vaccine, 18 February 2020, pages 1893-1898

² Data on file

³ World Health Organization, Statement of the Thirty-second Polio IHR Emergency Committee, 24 June 2022

⁴ Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026: Delivering on a Promise: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/341938/9789240024830-eng.pdf
⁵ GPEI strategy 2022-2-26: https://polioeradication.org/gpei-strategy-2022-2026/

About PharmaJet

PharmaJet’s mission is to enable greater access to life improving pharmaceuticals. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet’s Needle-free Injection Systems provide increased vaccine effectiveness, a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and a proven path to market. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. 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. Follow us on LinkedIn.

About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)

The goal of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)⁵ is to complete the eradication and containment of all wild, vaccine-related and Sabin polioviruses, such that no child ever again suffers paralytic poliomyelitis. The global incidence of polio has decreased by 99.9% since GPEI’s foundation. An estimated 16 million people today are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease, and more than 1.5 million people are alive, whose lives would otherwise have been lost. Now the task remains to tackle polio in its last few strongholds and get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases in the two remaining endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Contacts

Nancy Lillie

Nancy.Lillie@pharmajet.com
1-888-900-4321 Option 3