Nvidia’s results, Indian tariffs, French markets - what’s moving markets
LONDON - The Vaccine Group (TVG), a company specializing in animal disease vaccines, has initiated animal trials for its African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine candidate, a significant development in the fight against a disease that has caused substantial economic damage and animal loss worldwide. Frontier IP Group plc, which holds a 16.7% equity stake in TVG, announced the commencement of these trials today.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease with a potential 100% mortality rate in pigs, leading to mass culling and significant trade disruptions. Since 2022, the disease has been reported in 64 countries, and an outbreak in China in 2019 alone resulted in a 0.8% hit to the country’s GDP.
Currently, there is no widely available vaccine for ASF, with recent attempts to introduce a live attenuated vaccine in Southeast Asia raising safety concerns. TVG’s vaccine candidate, developed in collaboration with The Pirbright Institute and backed by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Industrial Partnership Award, represents a new approach to control the global epidemic.
The vaccine utilizes a bovine herpesvirus vector to deliver several antigenic proteins from the ASF virus and is compatible with a Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) diagnostic approach. Pigs in the trial have been vaccinated and will be challenged with a virulent genotype II ASF virus strain, following a model developed at Pirbright to mimic natural infection routes.
TVG CEO Jeremy Salt expressed excitement about reaching the trial phase after years of collaborative work with Pirbright and emphasized the pressing need for an effective ASF vaccine. The results of the clinical study will be made public as soon as they are available.
The vaccine candidate is part of TVG’s broader pipeline targeting 12 livestock and companion animal diseases. The progress of the ASF vaccine is closely watched by the industry, given the disease’s global impact on animal welfare, food security, and commercial interests.
This development marks an important milestone for TVG and the broader efforts to mitigate the devastating effects of ASF. The information is based on a press release statement from Frontier IP Group plc.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.