SENEGAL – Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), a major biomedical research center in Senegal, has inked a strategic partnership deal with medical device firm Satio Incorporated focused on research, development, manufacture and distribution of next-generation healthcare technologies.
The Institut Pasteur de Dakar is a non-profit public interest foundation with the mission to advance public health in Senegal and Africa by conducting research, providing training and education, sharing scientific knowledge and advancing vaccine production.
Since its founding in 1896, IPD has been at the forefront of the fight against infectious diseases in West Africa. IPD is one of the four WHO prequalified manufacturers for yellow fever vaccine.
The partnership between IPD and Satio aims to accelerate clinical development of and access to SatioRxTM intradermal vaccine patches for addressing epidemics as well as diagnostic patches for blood sampling, genetic testing, and pathogen surveillance.
“Access to innovative health technologies for epidemics is critical to ensure an effective response to global threats. This collaboration aims to put Africa at the heart of vaccine innovation,” said Dr. Amadou Alpha Sall, the General Administrator of Foundation Institut Pasteur de Dakar.
Under the deal, both entities will collaborate with INTACT, an innovative aseptic packaging company, to enable access to immunization by exploring alternatives to vials for epidemics with pandemic potential.
The alternatives include plastic pouches for vaccines and replacing traditional needles with SatioRxTM intradermal patches and INTACT aseptic fluid transfer technology.
By combining SatioRxTM intradermal patches and Institut Pasteur de Dakar technologies, the partnership aims to accelerate clinical development of and access to next-generation healthcare technologies.
Satio Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sharad Joshi said in statement that the strategic partnership agreement with Institut Pasteur de Dakar aims to enable low-cost access to vaccines and diagnostics to advance public health and well-being in Africa and beyond.
Satio, Inc., is a privately held medical device company focused on point-of-care patches with on board diagnostic and therapeutic solutions leveraging low-cost and user-friendly technology. The company is developing three different platforms.
President Sharad Joshi explained that the global COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need for rapid and broad access to vaccines and diagnostics in Africa and beyond, noting that Satio’s technology has the potential to radically simplify the healthcare workflow.
Sharad Joshi further said that Satio’s technology has the potential to radically simplify the healthcare workflows and to enable delivery at a significantly lower total cost in healthcare systems globally.
The Boston-based medical diagnostics provider is currently developing three different platforms including a vaccine and drug delivery patch, a dry blood spot and whole blood sampling patches and a consumer-based diagnostic patch.
“The first is a vaccine and drug delivery patch that allows for intradermal delivery. The second is a dry blood spot and whole blood sampling patches that allows for a wide variety of lab-based and genomic testing. The third is consumer-based diagnostic patch,” Satio highlighted.
Furthermore, Executive Chairman and Founder of Satio Namal Nawana pointed out that Satio’s technologies are designed to transform the workflows in healthcare for blood draw, diagnostics and drug delivery using patented patch-based technology.
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