Closely held PharmaJet announced that the results of an implementation research study—titled Evaluating the impact of needle-free delivery of inactivated polio vaccine on Nigeria’s routine immunization program: An implementation hybrid trial—have been published in the top-tier journal Vaccines. The study highlights significant benefits of the Tropis intradermal (ID) vaccine compared to the intramuscular (IM) standard of care (SoC).
According to PharmaJet, this study—the first to measure coverage benefits of Tropis ID in routine immunization (RI) settings—adds to the growing body of evidence supporting needle-free intradermal delivery in the global fight against polio. It was funded by a multi-year, $1.5 million grant from the USAID Development Innovation Ventures Program, in collaboration with the Nigeria National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Jhpiego, PATH, Sydani Group and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study aimed to comparatively evaluate the vaccine coverage, cost, feasibility, and acceptability of using Tropis ID for fractional inactivated polio vaccine delivery versus SoC in an RI program. A household survey was completed in Kano and Oyo States following a six-month implementation with children aged three to twelve months.
In a statement, Paul LaBarre, VP global business development, said, “This study demonstrates that Tropis ID can improve the patient and caregiver experience over the standard of care for routine immunizations, resulting in increased vaccine compliance, which is an important element in eradicating polio.”
“With the added benefits of intradermal dose sparing and the associated cost savings, Tropis ID is an ideal immunization tool. We look forward to collaborating with other African partners to assess the benefits needle-free ID delivery can provide for their immunization programs,” he added.
