Transdermal delivery patch for zanamivir to treat influenza in patients
Official title: Phase 1 Clinical Trial to Assess the Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Tolerance of a Zanamivir Transdermal System in Healthy Subjects
Funded at Tsrl, INC. · NIH-11534365 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new skin patch delivers zanamivir to people with flu or at risk of flu, aiming for easier, safer treatment than pills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tsrl, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $999,298 |
| NIH project number | 4U44AI184201-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11534365 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Healthy adult volunteers who meet standard safety criteria and can comply with study procedures.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who cannot participate due to medical conditions or contraindications to patch-based delivery may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a swellable microarray patch to deliver zanamivir through the skin, bypassing inhalation limits and enabling easier treatment. The approach uses a drug-device combination to improve skin uptake and systemic exposure, especially during influenza outbreaks. If successful, it could provide a painless, noninvasive option that can reach many patients quickly. The study will focus on safety, tolerability, and how the drug behaves in the body in healthy adults to inform future patient trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could have a convenient, needle-free flu therapy option that works even for those with respiratory challenges.
How similar studies have gone: Previous transdermal delivery methods have shown promise for other drugs, but this exact patch-delivery approach for zanamivir is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Tsrl, INC.
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lipka, Elke — Tsrl, INC.
- Study coordinator: Lipka, Elke
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Sub-second acetylcholine release in the brain for Alzheimer’s dementia
A small, quick stimulations-based study aims to boost a brain chemical called acetylcholine to help people with Alzheimer’s disease by using a targeted brain stimulation approach.
-
Understanding how broadly neutralizing antibodies may help HIV cure trials
A study at UC San Francisco looks at how antibody medicines behave in people on and off HIV therapy to help design better cure strategies.
-
Improving HIV-related brain infections by studying how drugs reach the brain
This grant looks at how well drugs reach the brain and spine to treat HIV-related infections like cryptococcal meningitis and TB meningitis in people with AIDS.
-
Chesapeake-Ohio Pharmacokinetics Core supports cancer drug testing
A collaborative core lab helps researchers study how cancer drugs behave in the body to improve clinical trials and patient care.
-
Urine color test to check tuberculosis drug levels in children and adults
This project uses a simple urine color test to see whether children and adults with TB are getting enough of key TB medicines like rifampin.
-
Making brain-targeted protein degraders work for Alzheimer’s related dementia
A research project at UC San Diego aims to develop smarter drug molecules that can cross the brain barrier and selectively remove disease-related proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, with potential benefits for people living with dementia.
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.