(Brookings, SD) – Prescription platform vaccine manufacturer Medgene announces that it will be expanding its vaccine offerings to help keep sheep and goats healthy in partnership with Iowa State University.
“Partnering with Medgene offers many benefits to university researchers, allowing them to continue to serve the needs of animal agriculture,” says Dr. Alan Young, Medgene co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “A collaboration of this type is also a benefit for Medgene, where the expertise of grant principal Dr. Jodi McGill can be used to solve tough problems for the animal health industry that can be rapidly implemented.”
The two-year grant that makes these sheep and goat vaccines possible is from the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Animal Disease Preparedness Response Program.
“Iowa State University is routinely contacted by goat producers who submit diagnostics for diseases and are looking for biologic solutions. Currently, they are forced to use tools developed for cattle with few products developed specifically for goats,” says Dr. Michael Roof, Chief Technology Officer, Immunovac, Iowa State University. “Because of the variety of different diseases that need solutions, Medgene’s prescription vaccine platform is very appealing, as it can be applied quickly across numerous diseases, including bacterial and viral diseases.”
The grant has three objectives, all based around pursuing vaccine solutions for diseases affecting sheep and goats, including bluetongue virus (BTV), Cache Valley Fever and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the team at Medgene,” says Dr. McGill. “I think this will be a really productive partnership. I’m also really excited to address this important need for our sheep and goat producers and am looking forward to seeing these vaccines used on farms that need them.”
Pneumonia caused by respiratory infections such as RSV cause production losses and even death in young lambs and kids. Currently, most RSV and other respiratory viral pathogens that are recommended annually for cattle, but there are currently no vaccines available for sheep and/or goats.
In sheep and goats, Cache Valley Fever can cause abortions, malformed fetuses, infertility and congenital abnormalities. Mosquitoes transmit the disease, which is endemic in many parts of the U.S. Developing vaccines to prevent this disease will benefit producers and improve animal welfare for small ruminants.
