A subsidiary of ECO Animal Health Group PLC (LON:EAH) has entered a worldwide exclusive development and licensing deal with Ghent University (UGA) to further develop, register and commercialise a Clostridium perfringens vaccine for poultry. The group said the deal allows it to further develop, register and commercialize a vaccine for poultry based on antigens co-developed by Prof. Filip Van Immerseel (Laboratory of Bacteriology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ghent University) and Prof. Rick Titball (College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter). Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium which normally inhabits the gastrointestinal system but when predisposing triggers are present, specific strains can cause necrotic enteritis with major consequences for bird health and growth. Read: Statement re ECO Animal Health and University of Georgia sign second poultry vaccine development licencing deal Peter Lawrence, Non-Executive Chairman of ECO Animal Health commented: “Necrotic enteritis can result in a significant reduction in body weight and increase in feed conversion rate when compared with healthy broilers”. In a note to clients, analysts at Peel Hunt said: “This continues the company's expansion of a vaccine development programme. The shares are trading on an ex-cash PE of 21.7x.” Shares in the AIM-listed pharmaceutical firm were unmoved in early morning trading.
ECO Animal Health signs poultry vaccine development licencing deal with Ghent University
The vaccine is for Clostridium perfringens, a bacterium which normally inhabits the gastrointestinal system but when predisposing triggers are present, specific strains can cause necrotic enteritis with major consequences for bird health an