Malaria SHIELD™ Delivery System: Long-Term Malarial Chemoprophylactic Drug Releasing Implant

Malaria infection and transmission is a continual threat to military and civilian communities across the world, but there are very low compliance rates with current preventative treatments due to gastrointestinal effects of anti-malarial medications, forgetfulness, and a low perception of risk. In order to address the need for a long-acting malaria treatment that bypasses the issue of compliance, Luna will develop the Malaria SHIELD™ (Sustained-release Hydrogel Injection with Encapsulated Layer-by-layer Drug) delivery system in the proposed program. The hydrogel-nanoparticle formulation, delivered via subcutaneous injection, will be designed to controllably degrade and release drug-loaded nanoparticles into surrounding tissue. In addition to being compatible with multiple therapeutic agents, the formulation will require no removal surgery. In Phase I, Luna will demonstrate the feasibility of this delivery system using in vitro models, and in Phase II will demonstrate the functionality of the system in in vivo malaria models.