Announcing Patch Forward Prize Concept Stage winners and BARDA’s next vaccine innovation prize.

Imagine a world where vaccine access isn’t limited by needle phobia, cold storage requirements, or distance to healthcare facilities. A world in which patients have the option of receiving vaccines that are less painful, are easier to store and transport, and could even be self-administered at home. This week, as part of a $100 million investment to accelerate the development of new technologies and strategies for administering vaccines, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced the Concept Stage Winners of the Patch Forward Prize and announced a forthcoming prize to advance H5N1 vaccines that could be administered in only one visit.

Announcing Patch Forward Prize Concept Stage Winners

Robert Johnson, Ph.D., Director of Medical Countermeasures Program, BARDA, addresses the audience at the Vaccine Innovation Forum.

This week, BARDA hosted the Vaccine Innovation Forum during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco to announce the four Concept Stage winners of the Patch Forward Prize, a $50 million Project NextGen competition to advance microneedle patch-based RNA vaccines for COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and pandemic influenza. At the event, the four winning teams presented their technologies to key stakeholders and experts in the field.

Each winner will receive $2 million to accelerate their patch-based RNA vaccine technologies. Congratulations to the Concept Stage winners:

• Micron Biomedical partnered with Zipcode Bio. Co-developing mRNA-based, broadly protecting influenza vaccines based on dissolvable microarrays and delivered without an injection.
• LTS Lohmann partnered with BioNet. Developing a next-generation microneedle patch-based mRNA vaccine targeting seasonal influenza, with flexibility to pivot to pandemic strains.
• Vaxxas partnered with BASE. A high-density microarray patch-based mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 designed for enhanced immunity.
• PopVax partnered with LTS Lohmann. A seasonal influenza vaccine built on a novel mRNA-encoded immunogen display architecture delivered via dissolvable microarray patch.

The Patch Forward Prize will continue to foster collaboration and provide resources to support the first effective demonstrations of patch-based RNA vaccines through Phase I clinical trials. The Preclinical Stage is expected to begin accepting submissions in late 2025, with up to three winners each receiving up to $7 million. The final Clinical Stage will begin accepting submissions in mid-2026 and, based on the outcomes of Phase I clinical trials, will award up to two winners with up to $10.5 million each.

BARDA’s next vaccine prize

Following the announcement of the Patch Forward Prize Concept Stage winners, BARDA shared details of a forthcoming prize competition, which will advance innovative approaches enabling single-administration vaccine technology.

The Single Shield Prize, a $41 million competition to advance single-administration vaccines for pandemic preparedness, calls for innovative technologies to advance H5N1 vaccines that could be administered in only one visit. Reducing the number of doses needed to achieve immunity can have a positive public health impact and improve overall vaccination rates, which is essential for controlling disease spread during pandemics. Currently, all approved vaccines for H5N1 (avian influenza; pandemic influenza) require two or more administrations to achieve strong and durable immunity. Launching later in 2025, the Single Shield Prize will aim to accelerate the development of robust, durable, and broadly protective single-administration H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccines.

The Single Shield Prize and the Patch Forward Prize are part of Project NextGen, a $5 billion initiative led by BARDA and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to accelerate the development of the next generation of vaccines and treatments. Luminary Labs is proud to design and produce both prizes on behalf of BARDA.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under OT number 75A50123C00059.