Frontier IP Group PLC (LSE:FIPP, FRA:8WT) said on Monday that a vaccine developed by its portfolio company, The Vaccine Group, had beaten a leading commercial rival in trials against a common and costly pig disease that can also infect humans.
The specialist intellectual property investor said the vaccine candidate, designed to protect pigs from Streptococcus suis, performed better than an existing product in challenge trials carried out by Moredun Scientific Limited, a UK research organisation that tests animal health products.
The news follows strong results announced last November for the company’s experimental vaccine against bovine respiratory syncytial virus, a lung infection in cattle, and adds weight to hopes that the underlying technology could have broad commercial value.
The Vaccine Group, which Frontier IP helps to commercialise, uses a delivery system based on a bovine herpes virus.
In simple terms, this acts as a carrier to train an animal’s immune system to recognise and fight off disease. The latest trial suggests the approach works not just in cattle but also in pigs, and against bacterial infections as well as viral ones.
Crucially, the study showed the vaccine protected against multiple serotypes of Streptococcus suis. Serotypes are different strains of the same bacterium, and protecting against more than one has been a major challenge for vaccine developers.
Streptococcus suis is widespread in pigs worldwide, with the global herd estimated at around 780 million animals. It affects up to 60% of pig farms in Europe and can cause serious illness in humans, including meningitis and blood poisoning, making it a concern for both farmers and public health authorities.
Jeremy Salt, chief executive of The Vaccine Group, said: “These results show how useful the BoHV-4 platform can be in delivering a wide range of efficacious vaccines for livestock.
"One of the key issues with control of S. suis infection is the ability to protect against multiple serotypes. In this study we have demonstrated clearly that our candidate vaccine has this ability.”
The pig vaccine traces its origins to a collaboration with two Chinese universities and Pulike Biological Engineering Company, with later work supported by grants from Innovate UK.
The company is also working with Spanish animal health group Syva on a separate Streptococcus suis vaccine, with Syva holding an option to license any product that emerges.
Frontier IP’s chief executive, Neil Crabb, said the latest results underlined the wider potential of the technology.
“It is now clear the technology has broad applicability across different animals and can be successful against both bacterial and viral diseases,” he said. “The company is now in good stead to find the right industry partners to bring its vaccines to market.”
The Vaccine Group is already in discussions with major animal health companies about commercial development of its cattle vaccine, Frontier IP said, raising the prospect that its research could soon move from the lab into widespread use on farms.