The AIM-listed incubator company Frontier IP Group Plc (LON:FIPP) has added a new investment to its portfolio.
It is taking a 21% stake in The Vaccine Group, a spinout company from the University of Plymouth.
In return it will provide commercialisation services, industry expertise and “strong links” to the pharmaceutical sector.
Paul Mantle, a portfolio executive at Frontier, is already director of the fledgling business and brings with him expertise in commercialising new technology.
The new company was set up to exploit advances in immunology developed by Dr Michael Jarvis, associate professor in Virology and Immunology at Plymouth, who specialises in the creative design of herpesvirus-based vaccines for the control of disease.
Breaking the human barrier
Initial work will focus on platforms that prevent the spread of pathogens from animals to people.
Research will be carried out into avian influenza A, Ebola and Marburg viruses, MERS and SARS coronaviruses and Rift Valley fever virus.
“Emerging infectious diseases are a growing threat to economies and to the global population,” said Frontier chief executive Neil Crabb.
“A rapid response vaccine platform will be a valuable addition to current management strategies and a critical resource when new diseases emerge."