6. Next-generation vaccine platforms
Vaccines are estimated to cost $200M per one vaccine and can take up to 10 years to fully develop. With recent outbreaks like Ebola and Zika, shortening the time frame for vaccine development, changing shipping methods and changing the materials used to make a vaccine have become vital.It is expected that the medical industry will be seeing an upgrade to the entire vaccine platform to expedite new vaccines while also creating new ways of delivering vaccines.
Instead of just using syringes for vaccine delivery, there are currently Edible vaccines, mucosally delivered vaccines, intranasal vaccines and vaccine chips. By 2018, the flu vaccine will be able to be administered through a band-aid-sized patch.
Dr. Steve Gordon, chair of the Infectious Disease at the Cleveland Clinic, says that improved vaccine platforms are high-tech and high-value and hopes that it will lead to disease elimination.
“We have anti-cancer vaccines,” Gordon said in reference to HPV and Hepatitis vaccines.
S Srikrishna says
Very promising disruptions in Healthcare. Will be interested as an incubator to closely track the development of ideas of healthcare startups.