In the future, getting a flu shot might be as easy as opening the mailbox and slapping a skin patch on your arm.
Immunizations shipped to doorsteps around the globe is the dream of Michael Schrader, chief executive and cofounder of Vaxess. For more than a decade, the Cambridge, Mass., startup — whose name is a portmanteau of “vaccine” and “access” — has inched toward the creation of a vaccine that’s easy to use, doesn’t require refrigeration, and releases slowly in the skin for a stronger immune response.
On Wednesday, Vaxess announced that it raised $27 million in series B funding led by the Boston biotech investor RA Capital Management. The money helped the company finally begin the first clinical trial of its technology in August. Results from the 45-person study of a flu vaccine patch are expected by the end of the year.
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