Frontier IP Group PLC (AIM:FIPP) has reported a fresh boost for its portfolio with the news that The Vaccine Group, a spinout from the University of Plymouth, has entered into a collaboration with Spanish animal health firm Syva to develop a vaccine for Streptococcus suis - a pig disease that’s both costly for farmers and capable of infecting humans.
Syva, which supplies animal health products in nearly 70 countries, has signed an option to negotiate exclusive global rights for any vaccine that emerges from the partnership.
The deal builds on earlier research carried out by The Vaccine Group, backed by two Innovate UK grants, including a £1 million award funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Streptococcus suis is widespread in pig herds around the world, particularly in Europe, where it affects up to 60% of farms.
It causes a range of illnesses in pigs, including meningitis and septicaemia, and is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted to humans. In people, infections can lead to serious complications, including permanent hearing loss.
At present, the disease is largely controlled through the use of antibiotics, which raises the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
Frontier IP holds a 16.7% stake in The Vaccine Group. The latest collaboration marks another step in its strategy to turn academic research into viable commercial products, particularly in areas where public health and agriculture intersect.
Chief executive Neil Crabb said: "Streptococcus suis can be a highly damaging disease, not just to pig farmers' livelihoods, but also to human health.
"The Syva collaboration is yet more good news from TVG. It is a further testament to the strength of the Company's flexible and novel vaccine technology.
"This is now underpinning the development of vaccines targeting 12 different livestock and companion animal diseases. I am also excited by the potential for use in companion animal therapeutics."