Oral dissolvable strips to deliver HIV medicines to infants and young children
Official title: Novel antiretroviral therapy delivery platform for infants and young children: oral dispensable strips (ODS)
Funded at Oak Therapeutics, INC. · NIH-11181757 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pediatric-focused project to develop a dissolvable strip that makes HIV medicines easier for young children to take.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oak Therapeutics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $899,010 |
| NIH project number | 2R44AI170237-02A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181757 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children under 15 with HIV who require fixed-dose antiretroviral therapy and whose caregivers seek simpler, more discrete dosing options.
✕Less likely to help
Children without HIV or those already using a well-migated alternative may not benefit from this product approach.
What this research studies
This project develops a new oral-disintegrating strip formulation of HIV medicines for kids under 15 to improve taste, ease of administration, and privacy. It builds on prior work showing the strips can deliver multi-drug therapy and plans to test manufacturing and stability so the product can be produced safely at scale. The team will compare the strip to an existing multi-drug option to understand how it performs in real-world conditions for children and caregivers. If successful, the strips could simplify daily dosing and support better adherence in families living with pediatric HIV.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children could take HIV medicines more easily and privately, potentially improving adherence and health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed proof of concept for oral-disintegrating strips; this project advances toward GMP manufacturing and in vivo comparisons.
Where this research is happening
-
Oak Therapeutics, INC.
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maliski, Edward G — Oak Therapeutics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Maliski, Edward G
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.