Proactive Investors - Frontier IP Group (LON:IPO) portfolio company The Vaccine Group (TVG) has been awarded more than £1 million in funding by the UK Government to develop a vaccine for Streptococcus suis.
This bacterial infection is seen as a significant risk to pig farming productivity, and, significantly, can also be transmitted to humans, causing diseases such as meningitis and septicaemia.
TVG’s project aims to create a vaccine that offers protection against multiple strains of Streptococcus suis, a disease that affects an estimated 60% of pig farms across Europe.
Currently, no vaccine exists that protects against different strains of the disease, and farmers must rely on antibiotics to treat infections.
The development of an effective vaccine would reduce the need for antibiotics, aligning with government goals to cut antibiotic use in livestock by 50% by 2030.
The grant funding comes from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and is delivered through Innovate UK.
Meanwhile, the project itself is a collaboration between TVG, the University of Plymouth, and the University of Cambridge.
"We are delighted that Defra is supporting this project,” said Matthew White, Frontier IP’s chief commercialisation officer.
“Streptococcus suis can cause significant economic harm to pig farmers and is potentially fatal to humans. With governments globally looking to curb antibiotic use, developing effective vaccines is crucial."
TVG chief executive Dr Jeremy Salt, meanwhile, added: “For pig farmers across the UK, Streptococcus suis is a major cause for concern and can lead to significant losses - both in terms of animals and financially.
"Our goal in developing an effective vaccine is to stop the bacterial infection from developing in pigs and humans in the first place.
“By doing so, we can protect the farmers, their animals, and their livelihoods."
Frontier IP holds a 17% stake in TVG.
Read more on Proactive Investors UK
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