Investigational dissolving microneedle platform uses the therapeutic peptide as the structural material of the needle itself, with an initial focus on sports medicine and regenerative medicine

TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vector Science and Therapeutics Corp. (TSXV: PAIN) (“Vector” or the “Company”) today introduced its investigational peptide-matrix microneedle technology, a dissolving microneedle platform designed to deliver peptides and other large-molecule therapeutics through the skin without conventional hypodermic injections. The technology extends Vector’s advanced transdermal delivery program and is designed to complement Vector’s cGMP-manufactured Rx peptides, manufactured using pharma-grade Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API).

The Challenge: The Skin’s Natural Barrier

Therapeutic peptides, proteins and other large-molecule drugs are difficult to deliver through the skin because of their size, hydrophilicity and susceptibility to degradation. The skin’s outer layer, the stratum corneum, blocks meaningful penetration of many peptides. As a result, injections remain the standard route of administration, bringing needle aversion, inconvenience, adherence challenges and administration costs.

A Different Approach: The Peptide Becomes the Needle

Rather than encapsulating the therapeutic peptide in a conventional carrier, Vector’s approach uses the peptide as a predominant structural component of a microscopic dissolvable needle. The projections are designed to penetrate the outer skin barrier and deposit peptide-rich material into the underlying tissue, where interstitial fluid dissolves the needle and releases the peptide. The platform design includes static patches and a handheld roller with replaceable peptide-rich needle cartridges.

Potential benefits include high drug loading with less inactive carrier material; minimally invasive administration; simpler application in clinical or self-care settings; direct, localized deposition at the target tissue; and flexible designs for regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal care, wound management, dermatology and selected systemic therapies. These potential benefits remain subject to testing and validation.

Strategic Fit and Market Opportunity

Advanced transdermal delivery is a core part of Vector’s intellectual property strategy. The Company’s portfolio includes 15 pending patent applications covering multi-route peptide and biologic delivery, lyophilized peptide formulations with point-of-care reconstitution, and advanced transdermal delivery. Vector intends to focus the microneedle platform initially on sports medicine and regenerative medicine, where targeted delivery to specific tissue is most relevant.

According to Grand View Research, the global peptide therapeutics market was valued at approximately US$140.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach approximately US$294.6 billion by 2033. Vector believes simpler administration could support partnerships in peptide and therapeutic molecule delivery, clinician-administered treatments and patient-friendly therapy platforms.

“Peptides are among the most promising therapeutics in sports and regenerative medicine, but most of them still require an injection,” said Tom Bachinski Chief Technology Office of Vector Science and Therapeutics. “By making the peptide the needle itself, this platform is designed to place more of the active molecule, with less carrier material, directly into the target tissue. We believe targeted delivery could change orthopedics and sports medicine much the way arthroscopy did, and it is a natural extension of our cGMP-manufactured Rx peptides.”

“Making treatment simpler and less invasive is one of the most practical ways to improve patient care and adherence,” said Tommy Thompson, Chairman of Vector Science and Therapeutics and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. “Vector is approaching this platform with discipline, starting with rigorous testing of safety, stability and performance, and working within the regulatory framework that will govern how it reaches patients.”

Development Outlook

Vector intends to evaluate needle mechanical strength, peptide stability, dissolution behavior, dose uniformity, skin penetration and delivery performance, alongside manufacturing scalability and regulatory requirements. The technology is investigational and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority. Its safety, clinical efficacy and commercial viability have not been established.

About Vector Science and Therapeutics Corp.

Vector Science and Therapeutics Corp. (TSXV: PAIN) is a medical technology company advancing drug delivery technology and cGMP-manufactured Rx peptides for the sports medicine, regenerative medicine, and pain management markets. Vector’s cGMP-manufactured Rx peptides, manufactured using pharma-grade Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), are not research-grade products: they are manufactured under cGMP, FDA, and ISO-compliant conditions, Rx-labeled, and sold directly to physicians for physician use, rather than distributed through the research-only channels associated with research-grade material. The Company’s product and intellectual property portfolio is focused on advanced transdermal delivery, precision catheter systems, localized pain management, pancreatic oncology, and smart wound care. Vector is headquartered in Mequon, Wisconsin. For more information, visit https://vectorscience.co/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the design, potential benefits, therapeutic uses and development of the Company’s peptide-matrix microneedle technology, the Company’s pending patent applications, anticipated regulatory pathways, potential partnerships, and the size and growth of the peptide therapeutics market. Forward-looking information is based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including the risk that the technology does not perform as designed in testing, that peptide stability, dose uniformity or manufacturing at scale cannot be achieved, that required regulatory approvals are not obtained, that pending patent applications do not issue or do not provide meaningful protection, that partnerships are not concluded, or that the technology is not successfully commercialized. Third-party market estimates vary by scope and methodology. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

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SOURCE Vector Sciences & Therapeutics