PharmaJet announced today that it began enrollment for a Phase 1 clinical trial for its needle-free COVID-19 vaccine in Australia.

Golden, Colo.-based PharmaJet’s needle-free injection systems will be studied with Covigen, a DNA-based vaccine developed by French-Thai pharmaceutical company BioNet-Asia in collaboration with Melbourne, Australia-based Technovalia.

According to a news release, PharmaJet’s system was chosen for its record of increasing the effectiveness of DNA vaccines, ease of use and the speed of the delivery system when compared to traditional needles and syringes.

PharmaJet develops the Stratis system, which has FDA 510(k) clearance and CE mark to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously, as well as the Tropis system, which has CE mark for intradermal injections. The company touts its platforms as capable of eliminating needlestick injuries, needle reuse and cross-contamination while reducing sharps waste disposal.

The University of Sydney Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School associate professor and lead principal investigator Nicholas Wood said in the release that the PharmaJet system “is pivotal for the delivery into the skin or muscle,” making it key for putting the genetic code from the vaccine into the cells.

“We are pleased to be collaborating with BioNet-Asia and their partners as they begin their clinical trials,” PharmaJet president & CEO Chris Cappello said in the release. “Our needle-free systems are proven to generate an equal or superior immune response, as well as improve both the patient and caregiver experience.”