From a university laboratory in Cork, a decade of quiet scientific work has arrived at something quietly radical: a coin-sized patch that dissolves into the skin, delivering medicine without the sting that keeps millions of people from seeking treatment. ArrayPatch's DerMap does not merely soften the experience of injection — it reimagines the needle itself, using the medicine as its own structure. In doing so, it places a long-standing human aversion at the centre of a therapeutic design, and asks whether the barrier between patient and treatment might, at last, be dissolved.
Cork biotech firm develops pain-free microneedle patch to replace injections
You do it yourself and you don't feel it.
Mark
So this is a patch that dissolves on your skin and delivers medicine. How is that actually different from, say, a nicotine patch or a birth control patch that already exist?
Mimi
The key difference is what's inside and how it works. Traditional patches release medicine slowly through the skin over hours or days. DerMap's microneedles actually penetrate the outer layer of skin—they're tiny enough that you don't feel it—and then dissolve to release the drug. That means you can deliver certain medicines much faster and in higher concentrations than a surface patch allows.
Luke
But the source says the technology is still in development and hasn't had human trials yet. So we don't actually know if it feels painless in practice, or how well the drug absorption works in real patients. That's all still theoretical.
Mark
Fair point. So when would someone actually be able to use this?
Mimi
If everything goes according to plan, 2029. They're starting human trials in 2027. But that's assuming no major setbacks, which is a big assumption in biotech.
Luke
And the company has raised three million euros so far, but they're targeting ten million more. That's a significant gap, and they haven't proven the technology works in humans yet. Investors will be betting on potential.
Mark
What's the actual innovation here? Is it just making needles smaller?
Mimi
No, it's how the needle is made. Instead of using polymers to hold medicine particles together, they convert the medicine itself into a glassy material that forms the needle. It's a different architecture entirely. That lets them pack more drug into a smaller space.
Luke
Which is elegant in theory. But again—no human data yet. We don't know if that higher drug loading actually translates to better outcomes, or if there are side effects they haven't encountered.
Mark
Who would actually use this first?
Mimi
People taking GLP-1 drugs for diabetes or obesity. Those are weekly injections right now, and they're painful for some people. A patch you apply yourself at home, painlessly, would be genuinely convenient.
Luke
Assuming it works. And assuming the regulatory pathway is clear. The source doesn't discuss how the FDA or EMA might view this—whether it's a drug delivery device, a combination product, what the approval timeline looks like. That's still unknown.
Mark
What about the funding gap Faisal mentions?
Mimi
He's saying Ireland has the research talent and the early-stage support, but there's a real cliff when you move from lab to clinical trials. That's where you need serious money and specialized investors who understand biotech timelines. He's calling for more of that in Ireland.
Luke
That's a fair observation, but it's also a pitch. He's the founder asking for more capital. The actual state of Irish biotech funding—whether it's genuinely worse than other countries, whether the gap is real or just feels real to him—that's not something the source establishes with data.
El Pulso
- An estimated portion of the global population avoids necessary medical treatment because of needle fear — a gap in care that ArrayPatch is now engineering its way around.
- DerMap's core innovation is structural: by converting medicine into the needle material itself rather than suspending it in polymer, the patch carries higher drug concentrations in a format small enough to use at home.
- The company has secured five million euros across grants and seed funding, but faces the familiar biotech cliff — capital needs spike precisely when revenue is still years away, and Ireland's late-seed funding landscape remains thin.
- Human trials are set for 2027, a commercial launch for 2029, and early conversations with one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms are already underway around a GLP-1 obesity patch.
- The technology's reach extends well beyond convenience: for patients managing diabetes, obesity, or skin cancer who currently depend on weekly clinic visits, a self-administered patch could be the difference between consistent treatment and avoidance.
From a university laboratory in Cork, a decade of quiet scientific work has arrived at something quietly radical: a coin-sized patch that dissolves into the skin, delivering medicine without the sting that keeps millions of people from seeking treatment. ArrayPatch's DerMap does not merely soften the experience of injection — it reimagines the needle itself, using the medicine as its own structure. In doing so, it places a long-standing human aversion at the centre of a therapeutic design, and asks whether the barrier between patient and treatment might, at last, be dissolved.
A Cork biotechnology company has built a dissolving microneedle patch the size of a one-euro coin that delivers drugs through the skin without pain. For the millions gripped by needle phobia, DerMap offers relief — but its deeper promise is structural: it could move treatment from clinic to home, and bring medication to people who have long avoided it out of fear or inconvenience.
What sets ArrayPatch apart is architectural. Where conventional microneedles suspend medicine in a polymer matrix, DerMap converts the medicine itself into a glassy needle structure. The result is a higher drug concentration in a smaller, minimally invasive format. Applied to skin, the needles penetrate the outer layer and dissolve, releasing their payload with little or no discomfort.
The company grew out of eight years of research by Dr. Waleed Faisal at University College Cork, spinning out in 2024 with roughly two million euros in prior funding from the European Horizon programme and Enterprise Ireland. A seed round of three million euros closed in September; a Series A of ten million is now being pursued for 2027.
ArrayPatch's initial focus falls on three areas: GLP-1 medications for obesity and type 2 diabetes, skin cancer treatment, and fungal nail infections in diabetic patients. Faisal describes the platform as adaptable across cancer, migraine, dermatology, and paediatric care, and confirms the company is already in discussions with a major pharmaceutical firm about co-developing a GLP-1 patch.
Faisal is candid about the funding landscape. Converting university science into a viable company proved harder than the science itself. Ireland's early-stage support is real, but the jump to clinical trials — where capital needs spike before any revenue arrives — exposes a gap that institutional investors and specialist healthcare venture capital have yet to adequately fill.
On whether microneedles will replace traditional injections, Faisal is measured: large doses will still need conventional needles, but for smaller ones — vaccines, weekly medications — the patch is viable. Human trials begin in 2027. Commercial launch is targeted for 2029. The first real test of whether dissolving a needle can dissolve a barrier to care is now three years away.
A Cork biotechnology company has developed a postage-stamp-sized patch that could reshape how millions of people take medicine. ArrayPatch's creation, called DerMap, is a dissolving microneedle patch about the size of a one-euro coin that delivers drugs through the skin without the sharp sting of a traditional needle. For the estimated portion of the population gripped by trypanophobia—the clinical term for needle fear—the technology offers genuine relief. But its implications reach far beyond anxiety: it could allow patients to treat themselves at home instead of traveling to clinics, and it could make certain medications accessible to people who have avoided them because of injection dread.
The company was founded by Dr. Waleed Faisal, a formulation scientist who began exploring microneedle technology in 2018 as a research project at University College Cork. What distinguishes ArrayPatch's approach from existing microneedle designs is architectural. Conventional microneedles are built like a composite material—medicine particles suspended in a polymer matrix, the way sand is held together by cement. DerMap inverts that logic. The medicine itself is converted into a glassy substance that forms the needle's structure. This means the patch can carry a higher concentration of active drug while remaining small and minimally invasive. When applied to skin, the microneedles penetrate the outer layer and dissolve, releasing the medicine into the body with little or no discomfort.
The technology has taken eight years to mature from university concept to commercial venture. By 2024, the research had advanced far enough that ArrayPatch spun out of UCC with the explicit goal of turning the innovation into products for patients. The company has already attracted significant backing: roughly two million euros went into developing DerMap before the spinout, including 1.4 million from the European Horizon programme and Enterprise Ireland. In September, ArrayPatch closed its first seed funding round of three million euros. The company is now pursuing a Series A round of ten million euros, targeted for 2027.
ArrayPatch's immediate commercial strategy focuses on three areas. The first is delivering GLP-1 medications for obesity and type 2 diabetes—a market where patients currently rely on weekly injections and where a painless, self-administered patch could be transformative. The second is skin cancer treatment. The third is fungal nail infections, particularly in people with diabetes, who face higher risk of serious complications. Faisal describes DerMap as a platform technology, meaning it can be adapted across multiple therapeutic domains: cancer, migraine, dermatology, pediatric care. The company is already in discussions with one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms about co-developing a GLP-1 patch using its technology.
Human trials are scheduled to begin in 2027, with commercial launch targeted for 2029—a timeline that reflects the long arc of biotech development. From initial concept to market, ArrayPatch estimates roughly a decade. The company currently employs seven people across Ireland, the UK, and the Netherlands, and has already secured manufacturing capacity for its immediate needs.
Faisal is candid about the obstacles. Converting promising university research into a funded company proved harder than the science itself. Biotech startups face a particular vulnerability: they require enormous capital before generating any revenue, and the funding landscape in Ireland has gaps. Early-stage support exists, but the jump to clinical trials and scale-up—where capital needs spike—remains difficult. Faisal points to a shortage of patient, sector-specific funding for life sciences and deep tech at the late-seed and Series A stages, and calls for greater participation from institutional investors and specialized healthcare venture capital.
On the question of whether microneedles will eventually displace traditional injections, Faisal is measured. The answer depends on the dose. Treatments requiring large amounts of medicine will still need conventional needles. But for smaller doses—vaccines, for instance—the patch is viable and offers a genuine advantage: patients can treat themselves at home, painlessly, without visiting a medical facility. For people who have avoided regular injections because of fear or inconvenience, that shift from clinic to home, from sharp to imperceptible, could be the difference between treatment and avoidance. The first human test of that promise comes in 2027.
Citas Notables
We in effect build the wall from the sand rather than cement. This allows us to achieve a much higher drug loading while keeping the patch small and minimally invasive.— Dr. Waleed Faisal, founder of ArrayPatch, explaining the technology's advantage over conventional microneedles
In biotech, having a great idea is only the start. Then you need to build the team, protect the intellectual property, generate the evidence and navigate the regulatory process, all before generating revenue.— Dr. Waleed Faisal, on the challenges of turning research into a commercial product
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