New technology for FMD vaccines

Dutch biotechnology company Crucell and Merial, a world-leading animal health company, have entered into a license agreement for the utilisation of Crucell's PER.C6 technology for the development and commercialisation of veterinary vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Crucell will receive an upfront payment, milestone payments, annual maintenance fees, and royalties on sales of vaccines. In on-going and close collaboration with the USDA ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Centre, Merial will further develop FMD vaccines discovered by ARS. Dr Robert Nordgren, head of Biologics Research and Development at Merial, said: 'We are particularly proud to work with Crucell and the USDA in the development of vaccines that not only enhance animal health, but also improve our country's level of bio-security, and its ability to respond quickly to threats to the agricultural industry. It now becomes essential that we move with speed through this final development process, since possible FMD outbreaks can occur unexpectedly.' Dr Luis Rodriquez, of ARS Plum Island, is research leader for the project. 'Few effective intervention tools are available today to control FMD outbreaks', he said. 'We have long needed an effective alternative to the culling and slaughter of all animals in infected and neighbouring premises, which has previously been our only way of dealing with outbreaks. The combination of vaccine and antivirals is a very promising intervention tool for rapidly controlling and minimising the impact of FMD outbreaks in the United States.' 'We consider Merial's choice of PER.C6 as the cell substrate for vaccines against such an important concern as foot-and-mouth disease as further confirmation of the strength of PER.C6 technology for the production of both human and veterinary vaccines', said Jaap Goudsmit, Crucell's chief scientific officer. FMD affects swine, sheep, cattle, deer and other animals. Experts warn that a single outbreak of FMD could require the destruction of tens of millions of cattle and result in a worldwide ban of US cattle exports for years. This would not only affect the livestock industry, but related economic systems as well, significantly impacting the $1.5 trillion agricultural sector of the US. In 2001, the British epidemic cost $15 billion in disposal, compensation, lost trade and tourism.