Overview - Production Animal Markets – Poultry & Pigs
Imugene is developing and commercialising a range of biological animal health vaccines for the pig and poultry production animal markets worldwide. In late 2008, a Strategic Alliance with Merial Limited has accelerated the development of the lead Imugene vaccines.
The Imugene vaccines improve the health and welfare of animals and reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals and drugs, particularly antibiotics, in intensively reared ‘food’ animals.
By improving pig and chicken health, Imugene’s vaccines deliver productivity and economic gains to the poultry and pig industries through the prevention of specific infectious diseases of economic importance.
Our disease control vaccines utilise the animal or birds own natural immune system and are safe, residue free, non-antibiotic, non-drug (chemical) treatments. Importantly, they are cost effective to manufacture and administer which is paramount within the cost conscious intensive pig and poultry farming industries.
In response to the growing problem of bacterial antibiotic resistance, international health organisations and governments are phasing out the use of antibiotics as growth promotants in food producing animals. Accordingly, biological treatments are being increasingly used in the prevention and treatment of disease as well as overall growth enhancement.
The platform technologies – the Porcine Adenoviral Vector (PAV) and the Fowl Adenoviral Vector (FAV) are patent protected in most global markets. The Vectors are exclusively owned under a worldwide license from the CSIRO (Australian Government Research organization) or owned, in the case of a US Porcine Patent, by Imugene.
Imugene’s biological productivity enhancers and specific disease vaccines are economically viable alternatives to the current use of in feed antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention for the poultry and pig industries.
Importantly, Imugene’s products reduce the level of chemical and antibiotic residue entering the human food chain.
Key commercial advantages to Imugene’s range of vaccines
For Poultry:
- High efficacy at an early age – important for broilers
- Low cost of mass administration
- Orally (via water) or in ovo (egg) administration proven
- Individual bird handling not required
- In ovo administration via egg injection equipment undertaken by most US poultry broiler hatcheries
- Very cost effective for mass administration to entire poultry sheds containing many thousands of birds
For Pigs:
- Lack of viable effective vaccine for major ‘new’ economically important diseases – PRRS & PCV
- Advanced technology platform makes new vaccines possible
- Stimulation of pigs own immune system
- Oral administration allows reduced handling
For Pigs and Poultry:
- Marker vaccine
- Allows authorities to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animal – a vital consideration for the international poultry & pig industries
- Safe to use
- the Imugene vaccine is safe and cannot mutate or recombine with live viruses
- Low cost of producing, storing and distributing commercial quantities of the vaccine
Market and Commercial strategy
Imugene estimates the global market for biological disease control and productivity enhancement products in poultry and pigs is valued at over US$3 billion per annum. This market is poised for significant expansion and growth as in–feed antibiotics are withdrawn and consumers demand residue free food products.
Imugene has provided Merial Limited with exclusivity to the Imugene platform adenoviral technology and any product that utilizes either delivery system. Merial is paying Alliance fees and sublicensing fees for the platform technology of in excess of AUD$30 million over seven years begining in 2008. In addition, further income will generated by Imugene from Merial in the form of individual vaccine sub-license fees and milestone payments as each product achieves regulatory registration. Following commercial sales, Imugene will receive a royalty stream from each product.