The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has announced the winners of the Concept Stage for the Patch Forward Prize, a $50 million competition to revolutionize vaccine delivery through innovative patch-based RNA vaccine technologies.
Meet the Patch Forward Prize Concept Stage Winners
BARDA has selected four teams to receive $2 million each in the Concept Stage of the Patch Forward Prize:
- 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. A next-generation microneedle patch-based mRNA vaccine targeting seasonal influenza viruses, with the flexibility to pivot to pandemic influenza strains.
- Vaxxas, partnered with University of Queensland/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 a dissolvable microarray patch.
Concept Stage winners were announced during a Demo Day at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on January 13, 2025. At the event, the four Concept Stage teams presented their technologies to key stakeholders and experts in the field.
Looking Ahead to the Preclinical and Clinical Stages
At the Demo Day, BARDA also launched the next stages of the Patch Forward Prize. Looking ahead, the Preclinical Stage of the Patch Forward Prize is expected to begin accepting submissions in mid-2025, with up to three winners each receiving $7 million. The final Clinical Stage is expected to begin accepting submissions in mid-2026 and, based on the outcomes of Phase I clinical trials, will award up to two winners with $10.5 million each. Teams interested in competing in these subsequent stages are not required to have participated in earlier stages of the competition.