Transdermal delivery · Founded 2024–2025

Needle-free in feel, built from nature's own materials.

MicroNeedle is building dissolving microneedle patches made from polysaccharides and proteins such as hyaluronic acid, chitosan, gelatin and silk fibroin. The tiny needles dissolve in the skin to release their payload, aiming to replace painful injections for patients and care teams.

See the solutionView the results
9natural polymers reviewed as needle materials
5microneedle types compared in the review
8application areas covered, from vaccines to diabetes
Platform profile At a glance
FormatNeedles dissolve after insertion into skin
Dissolving
PolysaccharidesHyaluronic acid, chitosan, alginate, cellulose, starch
5 options
ProteinsGelatin, collagen, silk fibroin, albumin
4 options
Why it matters: Dissolving microneedles are considered safe and painless while still delivering drugs efficiently through the skin.
The problem

Injections work, but people avoid them.

Hypodermic needles remain the default for many medicines and vaccines, yet they are invasive and depend on trained staff.

Pain and fear

Injections are invasive, which lowers acceptance and makes repeat dosing harder for many patients.

Inconvenient dosing

Conventional routes can require clinic visits and trained hands for each dose.

Sharps left behind

Solid, hollow and coated microneedle designs still leave a device to remove. A needle that dissolves leaves nothing sharp behind.

Our solution

Microneedles made of materials the body already knows.

We focus on dissolving microneedles built from polysaccharides and proteins, the class the review highlights for safety, comfort and efficient delivery.

Materials

Natural polymer matrix

9polysaccharides and proteins mapped as needle materials
  • Hyaluronic acid, chitosan, alginate
  • Gelatin, collagen, silk fibroin, albumin
  • Cellulose and starch
Payloads

One platform, many medicines

8application areas reviewed
  • Vaccines, hormones and genes
  • Contraceptives and cosmetic agents
  • Cancer, skin disease and diabetes therapy
Theranostics

Treat and monitor

2 in 1drug delivery and diagnostics in one patch concept
  • Built on the theranostic uses the review describes
  • Skin-level access with minimal invasion
  • Designed for self-application
How it works

How a dissolving patch works

Simple for the user, engineered at the micro scale.

  1. 1

    Choose the polymer

    Select a polysaccharide or protein matrix suited to the payload and the release profile needed.

    Hyaluronic acidSilk fibroin
  2. 2

    Load and mould

    Mix the drug, vaccine or agent into the polymer and form it into an array of tiny needles using established fabrication methods.

    FabricationArray
  3. 3

    Press onto skin

    The needles pierce only the outer skin layer, avoiding the invasiveness of a hypodermic injection.

    PainlessTransdermal
  4. 4

    Dissolve and deliver

    The needles dissolve in the skin and release their payload, leaving no sharp waste.

    DissolvingNo sharps
Results

What the research shows

Our evidence base is a comprehensive review of published work on polysaccharide and protein based dissolving microneedles, including systems already in clinical trials. We have not yet reported our own product data.

5microneedle types compared: dissolving, solid, hollow, coated, hydrogel
9natural polymers reviewed for dissolving needles
8therapeutic and cosmetic application areas
Reviewevidence type, including systems in clinical trials

Source: Kenchegowda et al., International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 253, 127172 (2023). doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127172

Who it's for

Who it is for

A delivery platform designed to partner across therapy areas.

Pharma and vaccine developers

  • A needle-free feeling route for existing actives
  • Material options for different payloads
  • A path informed by systems already in clinical trials

Dermatology and cosmetics

  • Targeted delivery into the skin
  • Natural, biocompatible materials
  • Comfortable at-home format

Patients on repeat therapy

  • Designed to be painless
  • Self-applied patch concept
  • Aimed at diabetes, hormones and more
Where we are

Where we are today

MicroNeedle is a research-stage venture built on a review of the field.

Review evidence

Our scientific basis is a comprehensive literature review, not new laboratory or clinical data from our own product.

Payload by payload

Each drug or vaccine will need its own formulation, dose loading and stability work.

Regulatory path ahead

Manufacturing scale-up, sterility and clinical testing are still required before any patch reaches patients.

The team

The team

Founded in 2024–2025 by the research team behind a comprehensive review of polysaccharide and protein based dissolving microneedles.

MK

Madhuchandra Kenchegowda

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

UH

Umme Hani

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

AF

Adel Al Fatease

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

NH

Nazima Haider

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

KR

K.V.R.N.S. Ramesh

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

ST

Sirajunisa Talath

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

HG

Hosahalli V. Gangadharappa

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

GR

G. Kiran Raj

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

SP

Sharath Honganoor Padmanabha

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

RO

Riyaz Ali M. Osmani

Co-author of the MicroNeedle research.

Frequently asked questions

What is a dissolving microneedle?

It is a patch of very small needles made from a material that dissolves in the skin and releases the medicine it carries.

Does it hurt?

Dissolving microneedles are described in the literature as painless and safe because they reach only the outer layers of skin.

What are the needles made of?

Natural polysaccharides and proteins such as hyaluronic acid, chitosan, alginate, gelatin, collagen, silk fibroin, albumin, cellulose and starch.

What could it deliver?

The review covers vaccines, cosmetic agents, contraceptives, hormones and genes, plus therapies for cancer, skin disease and diabetes.

Is a product available?

Not yet. MicroNeedle is at the research stage and its evidence base is a literature review.

The research

Peer-reviewed science behind MicroNeedle.

Read the full study behind the product.

Read the paper

Kenchegowda, M., Hani, U., Al Fatease, A., Haider, N., Ramesh, K. V. R. N. S., Talath, S., Gangadharappa, H. V., Kiran Raj, G., Padmanabha, S. H., & Osmani, R. A. M. (2023). Tiny titans: Unravelling the potential of polysaccharides and proteins based dissolving microneedles in drug delivery and theranostics: A comprehensive review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 253, 127172.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127172