NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AWARDS $1.5MN FUNDING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL BLOOD COLLECTION AND STABILIZATION DEVICE

SBIR Phase II funding will advance development of blood stabilization device that enables field based sample collection and refrigeration-free shipment

BOSTON, Massachusetts—November 30th, 2017 — Vaxess Technologies, Inc., an innovative life sciences company developing novel stabilization and delivery technologies, was awarded a highly competitive Phase II Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR) from the NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Funding totaling $1,500,000 will go toward the development of novel heat-stable blood collection device based on Vaxess’s proprietary silk stabilization technology. Phase II funding was awarded after successfully reaching SBIR phase I endpoints and milestones, including i) integration of the stabilization formulation and drying approach with bioanalytical lab workflows based on mass spectrometry and ii) demonstration of improved stability of a range of blood analytes compared to dried paper, the previous gold standard for dried sample collection.

“Building on the success of the Phase I program, we will advance the development of a refrigerator-free blood collection device that is able to overcome many of the practical limitations of existing paper-based collection systems and offer a much-needed alternative option to improve the integrity of sensitive sample analytes” said Vaxess R&D director, Dr. Jonathan Kluge. “NIH funds are critical for the development of a novel product that preserves samples during transport in complex environments, increasing access to much needed diagnostics, both in our homes and in developing countries, said Livio Valenti, Vaxess Vice President of Strategy.

About Vaxess Technologies

Vaxess was founded in 2012 around technologies from Tufts University and MIT. The company has raised venture capital funding from Norwich Ventures and Bioinnovation Capital along with grants from the NIH, NSF, and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Vaxess has also developed long-term pharmaceutical partnerships to advance development of two main technology platforms.

Matrix is Vaxess’s formulation and drying platform that reduces the need for cold chain storage and shipment of vaccines, diagnostics reagents and biospecimens.

Vaxess’s Mimix platform is a novel sustained-release silk microneedle for vaccine delivery and enhanced product efficacy. For more information please visit the company website at www.vaxess.com or send additional inquiries to contact@vaxess.com.