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Inovio Pharmaceuticals Completes Acquisition of Needle-Free Injection Technology

 

Clinical courses

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has closed the transaction to acquire all of BioJect Medical Technologies Inc.s assets, including pioneering needle-free jet injection technology, devices, and intellectual property, which it first announced in a definitive agreement on March 14, 2016. Inovio acquired BioJect for USD 4.3 million in Inovio common stock and USD 1.2 million in cash.

Inovio is advancing multiple novel cancer and infectious disease immunotherapies and vaccines as well as delivery devices to optimally administer them. Since administration of Inovio’s products is a two-step process involving injection and electroporation delivery, it is also focused on enhancing ease and cost of administration to best serve clinical requirements. An integrated injection and electroporation device that eliminates needles and reduces disposable materials in an automated process would be a paradigm-changing step in vaccine administration in large populations.

Inovio has been developing needle-free electroporation technology that works on the surface of the skin. BioJect’s needle-free jet injection technology uses high pressure gas or springs to propel liquid medicine into skin. Its devices have demonstrated favorable utility, safety, and tolerability attributes in animals and humans. Under a prior research agreement Inovio tested the two separate technologies together and generated compelling antigen expression and immune responses in animals. Inovio will now be combining the two technologies into one highly optimized integrated delivery device.

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