Community Engagement on Microarray Patches
Microarray patches (MAPs) are arrays of microneedles that stick to your skin like a bandage, offering a noninvasive mechanism for drug administration. Several MAPs for prevention and treatment of multiple diseases are currently in the research and development (R&D) pipeline, which have the potential to be easier to administer in resource-poor settings, more convenient for users, and simpler to store and distribute.
The growing pipeline of MAPs for various infectious diseases treatment and immunization is a cause for engagement with stakeholders involved in health care given their potential to revamp healthcare service delivery, and contribute towards addressing some of the current barriers to care delivery. Yet, little to nothing is known about MAPs by most healthcare users and some providers.
In May 2024, Treatment Action Group hosted a webinar to address these knowledge gaps and raise awareness about MAPs by:
- Providing a platform for researchers and other stakeholders working on MAPs to describe how MAPs work; how they can promote equitable access to health technologies for immunization, contraceptives and therapeutic medicine; and their limitations;
- Providing an update on the research and development pipeline for MAPs for treatment and immunization; their benefits over existing drug delivery modes; and their acceptability by end users; and
- Discussing the challenges to MAPs development, including upfront investment costs, logistics, the complexity of the manufacturing infrastructure, and regulatory requirements.
Speakers:
- Jessica Mistilis, Senior Technical Officer at PATH
- Dr. Rebecca Callahan, Research & Operations at FHI360
- Moushira El-Sahn, Director of Research at Routes2Results
Access the webinar presentations here.
Watch the webinar recording below:
Treatment Action Group also released a fact sheet Frequently Asked Questions on Microarray Patches.
The fact sheet outlines what health advocates need to know about MAPs, including how they work, possible advantages and disadvantages of using them, and manufacturing and acceptability barriers they are likely to encounter when entering the market. It is intended to equip communities affected by diseases preventable or treatable with MAPs with skills and context to engage in the R&D process to ensure that end products serve the interests of end users.