Micron Biomedical Awarded Federal Vaccine Contract to Fight Rotavirus Through The Skin, Without Needles
Latest in a series of federal collaborations aims to address efficacy and distribution obstacles in low and middle income countries with a novel vaccine option co-developed with the CDC
ATLANTA, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Biomedical, a clinical-stage biotech company developing next-generation thermostable vaccines and therapeutics, today announced a vaccine development agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the continued fight against rotavirus. Under the contract terms, Micron Biomedical will advance development of a novel live-attenuated rotavirus vaccine delivered through the skin.
“Our longstanding collaboration with the United States government is grounded in a shared goal of expanding the range of tools available to protect and treat children and adults from deadly diseases and infections through microarray vaccines and therapies that overcome biological and logistical obstacles to global health,” said Steven Damon, Chief Executive Officer of Micron Biomedical. “This federal contract to escalate the fight against rotavirus with a novel drug candidate developed by the CDC is a significant milestone for children who are currently at risk of diarrhea-related deaths as well as a recognition of the urgent demand for biotech approaches that address the needs and prefrences of hard to reach populations impacted by healthcare deserts, needle phobia and infrastructure shortages.”
Rotavirus is the leading cause of death from diarrhea in children under five years old worldwide, claiming 200,000 lives annually1. Current oral rotavirus vaccines are highly effective2 in developed nations, but in low and middle-income countries malnutrition and gut coinfections are thought to contribute to signficantly lower efficacy3.
The contract builds on the CDC’s discovery of a promising and novel alternative to current oral options that bypasses the digestive track with an aim to avert logistical barriers of needle and syringe administration such as requirements for refrigeration, clinician administration and sharps waste. The organizations will explore clinical as well as non-clinical advantages such as potential time and cost advantages in vaccine development and manufacturing at global scale.
Earlier this year, a first-in-human inactivated vaccine study marked the first CDC-sponsored clinical trial of a vaccine delivered via the skin and kicked off the collaboration between Micron Biomedical and the U.S. government to fight rotavirus. Micron Biomedical’s collaborations with the U.S. government also include novel biosecurity and influenza vaccines and therapeutics. The company’s efforts to simplify access to life-saving drugs are also supported through investments by Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC) in partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as J2 Ventures and LTS Lohmann.
About Micron Biomedical
Micron Biomedical is a leading clinical-stage developer of FDA-regulated drugs that combine vaccines and therapeutics with microscopic structures called “microarrays” that dissolve painlessly and without needles in the upper layers of the skin. The company’s pipeline spans infectious disease, dermatology, weight loss and pain, focusing on commercializing vaccines and treatments that can be self-administered as well as transported and stored without the refrigeration and sharps waste requirements of drugs administered via needle and syringe. Micron Biomedical has been recognized for its game-changing approach to developing, manufacturing, storing, transporting and administering more accessible drugs. The company partners with and/or receives funding from private and public entities including pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the Gates Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PATH and the Georgia Research Alliance.
For more information, visit www.MicronBiomedical.com.
Media Inquiries
Shira Derasmo
Cuttlefish Communications
+1 917 280 2497
pr@micronbiomedical.com
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1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558951/
2 https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-19-rotavirus.html
3 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5102270/
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/17782fff-ed48-41f2-82a0-497626a5eb57
Micron Biomedical Awarded Federal Vaccine Contract to Fight Rotavirus Through The Skin, Without Needles
Micron Biomedical, a clinical-stage biotech company developing next-generation thermostable vaccines and therapeutics, announced a vaccine development agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the continued fight against rotavirus. Under the contract terms, Micron Biomedical will advance development of a novel live-attenuated rotavirus vaccine delivered through the skin.
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