Jab joy for squeamish

The days when drugs have to be administered via a needle and syringe may be numbered writes Andrew Yates.

PowderJect Pharmaceuticals, a small British biotechnology group, is pioneering a new system where powdered drugs are blasted through patients' skin at supersonic speeds. The whole operation is painless, with the patients feeling no more than a short blast of air.

Eventually, anything from flu jabs to inoculations for holidaymakers could be administered through the new process. Patients should be able to give themselves vaccinations without having to visit their GP.

Yesterday, PowderJect's system received a huge endorsement for its new technology from Glaxo Wellcome. The pharmaceuticals giant has pledged to pay more than $300m (pounds 180m) to accelerate research and development.

PowderJect shares surge,

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