If you’re someone who feels an irrational panic at the thought of having an injection, there’s a sporting chance you suffer from trypanophobia, also known as fear of needles.
The good news for phobics, or indeed anyone who finds injections difficult, is that advances in needle technology have led to the development of the microneedle, which can be used instead of a sharp metal needle to deliver medicine without the “ouch” factor.
Making its mark in this emerging niche is ArrayPatch, a Cork-based biotechnology company founded by Dr Waleed Faisal. Its next-generation take on the microneedle is called DerMap, a pain-free dissolvable microneedle patch about the size of a €1 coin.
The patch, which incorporates the prescribed dose of the relevant treatment, is applied directly to the skin. Once it penetrates the outer layer, it begins to dissolve and releases the medicine into the body with little or no discomfort.
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Existing microneedles are made from materials such as silicon and polymers, and the therapeutic is loaded on to them. ArrayPatch’s USP is that it has developed a polymer-free microneedle where the medicine itself is converted into a glassy substance that forms the needle’s structure.
“Think of a conventional dissolving microneedle like a wall made from cement mixed with sand. The medicine is the sand, while polymers and other materials form the cement that holds it together,” says Faisal, a formulation scientist by training.
“Our DerMap technology takes a different approach. We in effect build the wall from the sand rather than cement. This allows us to achieve a much higher drug loading while keeping the patch small and minimally invasive.”
The patented technology behind DerMap is a long time in the making. It began in 2018 as a research project at University College Cork that explored new ways of delivering medicine through the skin. By 2024 the concept was sufficiently proven for ArrayPatch to spin out of the university with the intention of commercialising its technology for use in treating health problems.
ArrayPatch’s potential customers are existing pharma companies developing medicines for large patient populations, and the company plans to sell its technology through a combination of licensing, codevelopment and partnerships with global players.
DerMap is a platform technology, which means it can be tweaked for applications in multiple areas, including cancer, migraine, dermatology and paediatric care.
While the tech remains in development and has yet to undergo human trials, the company plans to initially focus on using its patch to deliver GLP-1 medicines for obesity and type 2 diabetes, thereby giving patients a simpler and more convenient alternative to injections.
The next application will be for skin cancer, and the patch is also being developed to treat fungal nail infections with a particular focus on those with diabetes who are at higher risk of complications.
“Over time, we will also expand into other therapeutic areas and molecules, particularly peptides, small molecules and biologics, through strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical companies,” Faisal says.
“We are in the process of agreeing to a material transfer agreement with one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies to begin work on its GLP-1 patch with our technology with a view to co-development, as this is still a very niche area.”
Asked if microneedles will eventually take over from conventional sharps Faisal says, “For now it’s very much on a case-by-case basis, as the amount of medicine you can load at this point is limited.
“So treatments that require higher doses will still be by injection. But for small amounts of medicine – vaccines, for example – it’s a viable alternative and one that allows those who have to inject regularly to do it at home rather than having to go to a medical facility. You do it yourself and you don’t feel it. That makes it an attractive option.”
To date about €2 million has been invested in developing the DerMap technology, which includes €1.4 million in pre-spinout research funding, which came from the European Horizon programme and Enterprise Ireland. In September the company closed its first seed round of €3 million, and its next funding milestone will be to raise Series A funding of €10 million in 2027.
ArrayPatch employs seven people in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands. The company has already secured a manufacturer capable of making the product for all of its immediate requirements, and its next big step is its human trial, which is scheduled for 2027, with the product’s commercial launch set for 2029.
“In biotechnology there is usually a long lead time before you have a product, and in our case it will be roughly 10 years from start to finish,” Faisal says.
“Of course there are many challenges to overcome with any start-up, but I’d say the hardest part of the process so far has been securing the funding to turn promising university research into a company that can develop products for patients.
“In biotech, having a great idea is only the start,” he adds. “Then you need to build the team, protect the intellectual property, generate the evidence and navigate the regulatory process, all before generating revenue.
“We have been fortunate to secure strong research and early-stage support, but raising the larger investment needed to reach clinical milestones remains challenging. It takes persistence, a strong scientific case, and investors willing to take a long-term view.”
While Faisal has found dealing with the Irish start-up system a positive experience, he says there is still a significant funding gap when a deep-tech or life-science company moves from early development into clinical trials and scale-up, at which point the need for money really ramps up.
“Companies like ArrayPatch require significant capital before there is any commercial revenue,” Faisal says. “I would like to see more patient and sector-specific funding for life sciences and deep tech, particularly at the late-seed and Series A stages. I would also like to see greater participation from institutional investors and more specialised healthcare venture capital in Ireland.
“Ireland has the talent, the research base and the entrepreneurial ambition. The next step is making sure promising companies can access the capital and specialist expertise they need to grow here rather than having to look overseas for support too early.”
