PenJet® News Releases

Needle-Free Smallpox Vaccine Injector that is Easy for Anyone to Use Developed by PenJet® Corporation

        Santa Monica, CA, December 13 – A disposable, needle-free injector for smallpox vaccines, that is safe and simple enough for most people to instantly administer an inoculation to themselves or others, has been developed by PenJet® Corporation. Up until this time, a smallpox vaccination required a highly trained professional giving multiple needle injections for each inoculation.
        The new injector, called a PenJet®, is about the size of a lipstick. It uses self-contained, compressed inert gas to inject drugs into the skin surface without a needle. Because it is needle-free, the recipient experiences minimal sensation and hears little noise when the injection is given. By injecting simultaneously through four orifices it instantly gives a complete intradermal smallpox vaccination.
        To administer a needle-free vaccination, a protective cap and safety ring that avoids accidental triggering is removed, the nozzle is placed against a suitable injection site, such as the upper arm, and the PenJet® administers the injection when gently pressed. After use, the PenJet® can be safely discarded in any trash receptacle, eliminating the need for special sharps containers, since it has no needle and has injected all the vaccine it contained.
        PenJets® will be shipped from a pharmaceutical company, pre-filled with a vaccine or drug ready to inject. Low cost and ease of use make it applicable for rapid mass inoculations of entire populations for diseases such as smallpox and influenza, to home administration of pharmaceuticals by patients or their caregivers.
        A wide range of intradermal, subcutaneous and some intramuscular injections can be administered by PenJets®. In addition to liquid medications and vaccines, PenJets® can store, mix and administer needle-less injections of freeze-dried (lyophilized) drugs. These are the latest, highly potent, biotechnologically derived proteins that require lyophilization to maintain shelf life.
        PenJets® are covered by 12 U.S. patents with many more pending in the U.S. and around the world. PenJet® Corporation is a private company specializing in proprietary drug delivery systems that encompass drug delivery devices, and fully automated aseptic assembly and filling equipment. Its website is at www.penjet.com.