ALPHARETTA, Ga., March 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Biomedical, a clinical stage company developing dissolvable, needle-free products that could replace injectable pharmaceuticals and vaccines, today announced it was named to the number two spot on Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026 in the "smaller companies” category.

The recognition highlights implications of Micron Biomedical’s technology on overcoming cultural and logistical barriers to accessing vaccines, weight loss and diabetes management, pediatric and women’s health drugs, and other life-changing currently injected drugs. In the article, Fast Company calls out Micron’s ability to overcome high rates of needle phobia, clinician shortages in healthcare desserts, and cumbersome cold chain (refrigeration) requirements during storage and transport - as well as recent clinical, business and industry milestones that have poised Micron Biomedical to emerge as a leader in the space.

“Removing the most significant bottlenecks in how vaccines and medicines are manufactured, distributed and administered requires not only transformative, cost-efficient solutions, but also strong public confidence in those approaches,” said Steven Damon, CEO of Micron Biomedical. “As a Fast Company Most Innovative Company, we are honored that our dissolvable therapeutic button technology continues to be recognized for aligning with patient preferences while delivering clinical effectiveness, enabling agile manufacturing, and simplifying storage and transport for governments, drug developers, public health leaders and other stakeholders.”

Research shows dissolvable vaccines reduce anxiety, increase patient and caregiver willingness to get vaccinated and improve overall public health uptake. Micron Biomedical’s unique needle-free technology rapidly delivers vaccines and therapeutics via dissolvable microarray compounds that are pressed painlessly into the uppermost layers of skin.

“Delivering healthcare via needle requires a body of high-stakes conditions: Having no access to care can keep patients from getting the injections they need. Rural areas, clinician shortages, and challenges with expiration all add barriers to getting sometimes life-saving care,” reports the Fast Company article. “But Micron Biomedical is working on delivering the care without the needles…This year, Micron Biomedical reached milestones both scientific and financial…debuted new products.. and a new 26,000-square-foot hub where it will develop and manufacture at scale.”

Micron Biomedical products are designed to be easily and cost-effectively mailed or transported directly to people who need and want them then self-administered or administered by a non-clinical caregiver or parent with the push of a button, while producing no medical sharps waste.

The technology has been recognized for its potential to expand vaccine and therapeutic access in hard-to-reach settings and when time is of the essence–such as in times of epidemics and pandemics, as well as in national security and military uses. Micron’s class of technology has been heralded as the highest global priority innovation for overcoming immunization barriers in low- and middle-income countries by the Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy (VIPS) Alliance–a consortium between the World Health Organization, GAVI, UNICEF, PATH and the Gates Foundation.

Micron Biomedical’s technology is currently being studied in the first-ever CDC-sponsored clinical trial of a vaccine delivered via “patch” technology, a double-blind placebo-controlled study of a novel rotavirus vaccine that builds on existing research published in The Lancet, about self-administered seasonal influenza vaccine as well as studies across other disease indications, including measles and rubella. Additional data will be presented at the 2026 World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C., later this month.

To determine honorees, Fast Company’s editors and writers review companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world.

“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is about spotlighting organizations that don’t just adapt to change—they drive it,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “The companies we honor this year are redefining what leadership looks like in 2026, pairing bold ideas with measurable impact and turning breakthrough innovation into real-world value. They are setting the pace for their industries and offering a blueprint for what sustained innovation can achieve.”

Micron Biomedical will be among the select honorees featured in the print edition of Fast Company on newsstands beginning March 31, 2026.

About Micron Biomedical
Micron Biomedical is a clinical-stage life science company on a rapid path to commercializing its proprietary dissolvable, microarray-based drug and vaccine administration technology. The company’s products are designed to improve access and achieve better health outcomes globally through injection-free, painless, and simplified manufacturing, distribution and administration of drugs and vaccines by eliminating or reducing the need for cold chain transport and storage and improving patient compliance. Micron partners with and/or receives funding from private and public pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the Gates Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PATH, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Georgia Research Alliance. For more information visit www.micronbiomedical.com

ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc. For more information, please visit fastcompany.com.

Media Inquiries

Micron Biomedical:
Shira Derasmo
Cuttlefish Communications
+1 917 280 2497
pr@micronbiomedical.com