PenJet Needle-less Vaccine Injector That is Small, Inexpensive, Disposable and Most Anyone Can Use Now Ready.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 18, 2001

Samples of a disposable device about the size of a lipstick that injects vaccines and medications without a needle and is safe and simple enough even for self injection, are now being made available to qualified pharmaceutical companies for evaluation, it was announced today by PenJet(R) Corp.

The device, called the PenJet(R), uses self-contained, compressed inert gas to inject drugs into the skin surface without a needle. The patient experiences minimal sensation and no noise when the injection is given. The PenJet(R) will cost about $1.50 when produced in quantity and will be shipped from a pharmaceutical company, pre-filled with a drug dose ready to inject.

To administer a needle-less injection with a PenJet(R), a protective cap and safety ring that avoids accidental triggering is removed, the nozzle is placed against a suitable injection site, such as the upper arm, thigh or stomach, and the PenJet(R) administers the injection when gently pressed.

After use, the PenJet(R) can be safely discarded in any trash receptacle, or recycled into nonmedical devices, since it has no needle and has injected all the medication or vaccine it contained.

Unlike a disposable syringe with a needle that is filled from a medication bottle, a PenJet(R) both stores and administers a needle-less injection. This eliminates the pain and fear associated with needles, as well as the risk of accidental needle sticks and improper dosages.

Compared with prior jet injectors, which are expensive, noisy, awkward to fill and inject with, the small PenJet(R) is easy to store, carry and use.

PenJets(R) are safe and simple enough for most people to instantly administer an injection to themselves or others without any prior experience. Coupled with its low cost, PenJets(R) are applicable for usages ranging from mass inoculations of entire populations for diseases such as influenza and small-pox, to home administration of pharmaceuticals by patients or their caregivers.

It should prove useful in underdeveloped nations where vaccines can be distributed and safely administered to people who have little or no access to health-care professionals.

A wide range of subcutaneous, intradermal and some intermuscular injections can be administered by PenJets(R). In addition to liquid medications and vaccines, PenJets(R) can store, mix and administer needle-less injections of freeze-dried (lyophilized) drugs. These are the latest, highly potent, biotechnologically derived proteins that require lyophilization to maintain shelf life.

PenJet(R) Corp. has begun to license pharmaceutical companies to use its innovative needle-less drug-delivery systems, which are covered by nine U.S. patents with many more pending in the U.S. and around the world.

PenJet(R) Corp. is a private company specializing in proprietary drug-delivery systems that encompass drug-delivery devices, and fully automated aseptic assembly and filling equipment. Its principals have licensed many medical-device patents they have been awarded to some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and medical-device manufacturers. Its website is at www.penjet.com.