Type: Blended
PHASE: Design
CATEGORY: Health
LOCATION: Lae, Papua New Guinea
Nanoly
Oceania

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2.1 million people die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases because of accessibility problems. Nanoly’s technology enables vaccines to be delivered to anywhere in the world without refrigeration.

Standings & Awards

9 out of 9 in Oceania
284 out of 284 in Health
935 out of 935 in Design
1066 out of 1066 in Blended
4003 out of 4003 Overall
Nanoly increases the accessibility and affordability of vaccines for developing countries

Using a Nano-Sized Solution to Solve a Macro-Sized Problem
26 million children are not immunized, exposing them to disabilities or premature death. 2.1 million people die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases (World Health Organization (WHO)). People living in hard-to-reach areas of the world struggle to receive immunization. Nanoly's technology enables cheap, convenient, and safe delivery of vaccines to anywhere in the world. We are developing a nanoparticle based chemical shield that protects the vaccine for improved storage and transportation without refrigeration.

The Problem: Vaccines are sensitive to heat and must remain refrigerated
The vaccine "cold chain" is the system of transporting and storing vaccines within the temperature range of 35°F (2°C) to 45°F (8°C) (US Department of Health and Human Services). If exposed to temperatures too high or too low, the vaccine will spoil (or denature) and become inactive. The places that lack proper immunization have limited to no electricity supply to maintain the vaccine cold chain.

Our Solution: NanoShield
NanoShield is composed of a unique polymer consisting of nontoxic nanoparticles and a hydrogel. When this polymer is mixed with a nontoxic buffer agent and the vaccine's proteins, the proteins are encapsulated into the polymer. The polymer insulates the proteins, enabling the vaccine to remain active and ready to use when needed. 82% of the Papua New Guinea's population live in rural areas. This contributes to why the country has one of the lowest immunization rates in the world. Our product is designed to help deliver vaccines to the hard to reach populations.

Our Social Value
Because of the increased costs of delivering vaccines, UNICEF estimates that an additional US$ 1 billion in financing is necessary every year to meet international goals of improving immunizations access and reducing child mortality in the poorest nations. We are the solution to abolish that funding gap.

  • We eliminate the need for expensive refrigerators, which drastically reduces complications in delivery logistics for primary care providers
  • We mitigate problems associated with vaccine spoilage, including shortages in times of need
  • We allow flex-volume orders so that bootstrapped non-profit health groups can afford to deliver vaccine to small communities

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation? 
We are developing a chemical protector for vaccines to prevent it from thermal damage. Nanoly custom synthesizes polyethylene glycol (PEG) nontoxic nanoparticles to encapsulate the active ingredient in vaccines: the proteins. Combining our polymer and a buffer agent, the vaccine protein is encapsulated into the nanoparticles. The polymer is water-soluble and will release the protein for use via ultraviolet exposure.
2. Who gains the most? 
Nearly 20% of children born each year are not properly vaccinated. They are exposed to diseases and sicknesses that would have been avoided if they were immunized. WHO identified Papua New Guinea as one of the countries facing the greatest challenge in increasing immunization rates due to vaccine coverage difficulties since 80% of PNG live in rural areas. Nanoly will make vaccines accessible to anyone in the world, particularly those who live in hard-to-reach areas like PNG.
3. Who pays? 
Primary Customer: Major global vaccine distributors including UNICEF, World Health Organization, and Sabin Vaccine Institute. Secondary Customer: Pharmaceutical vaccine manufacturers including Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer. Medical suppliers including Besse Medical and McKesson Medical-Surgical.
4. What is your success? 
1 Year: Decreased vaccine spoilage and inventory waste for customers. Decreased transportation and delivery cost of vaccines for customers. 3 Years:Decreased carbon footprint. Increased response of vaccine distribution chain to emergency points of care. 5 Years: Improved access to vaccine immunization across all socioeconomic levels of society in developing countries. Increased number of immunizations in developing countries.
5. How will you do it? 
Our team of experienced scientists and engineers will continue conducting excellent research in optimizing our product, NanoShield. We will leverage our partnership with global public health groups to promote the usage of our product in delivering vaccines to neglected areas of the world. We will use RFID tags on our products to measure and improve the success of our product in providing faster vaccine delivery to emergency points of care.