Registration open for Veterinary Biologics Training ProgramJanuary 17, 2018The Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics (IICAB) has opened registration for the Veterinary Biologics Training Program, which will be held May 14-18 in Ames, Iowa. The program provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's regulatory process for assuring the purity, safety, potency, and efficacy of veterinary biologics (vaccines, bacterins, antisera, diagnostic kits, and other products of biological origin). During the weeklong program, staff from the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) at the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service provides information on the requirements and processes for licensing/registration and testing of veterinary biological products. The inspection and compliance process for production, release, and post-marketing surveillance of veterinary biological products is also covered in both lectures and workshops, IICAB said. Professionals working in the veterinary biologic industry, researchers developing biologics, and regulatory personnel are encouraged to attend to learn about current CVB requirements. More than 2,700 individuals have attended the program since it was launched in 1996, including 750 individuals from 90-plus countries. The program is organized by IICAB and is co-sponsored by CVB and the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Individuals interested in an introduction or refresher in the ever-changing field of immunology …
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Aratana Therapeutics secures USDA conditional license for canine osteosarcoma vaccineJanuary 10, 2018Aratana Therapeutics announced that its canine osteosarcoma vaccine, Live Listeria Vector (AT-014), has been granted a conditional license by the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics for the treatment of dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma, 1 year of age or older. The vaccine is a novel immunotherapy developed by using a listeria-based antigen delivery system licensed from Advaxis Inc. "Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in dogs and, since there haven't been advances to raise the standard of care in nearly 20 years, dogs often face a poor prognosis," said Ernst Heinen, DVM, Ph.D., chief development officer of Aratana Therapeutics. "We are hopeful that our canine osteosarcoma vaccine will be a new tool for veterinary oncologists to prolong survival in dogs with osteosarcoma." According to the company, the vaccine is a lyophilized formulation of a modified live, attenuated strain of listeria that activates cytotoxic T-cells. The therapeutic expresses a tumor-associated antigen that directs T-cells to fight cancer cells, even after the bacteria are cleared; the therapeutic capitalizes on the dog's immune system and its ability to attack bacterial infections, redirecting it to fight cancer cells, the company stated. Data from a clinical study …
Synthetic Genomics, Ceva partner to develop livestock vaccinesNovember 1, 2017 Synthetic Genomics Inc. announced that it has partnered with Ceva Santé Animale to utilize Synthetic Genomics' next-generation synthetic RNA replicon platform to develop vaccines for livestock. Synthetic Genomics' RNA replicons are programed to deliver genetic instructions to a body's own cells to unleash a powerful immune response against a specific disease, the company said. These RNA replicons carry the genetic code for a self-replication engine as well as antigens that signal for an immune response. The self-amplifying, RNA-based vaccine triggers rapid and immediate antigen expression within host cells, which induces strong T cell and B cell responses. These fully synthetic vaccines have lower dose requirements and simplified manufacturing compared to traditional vaccine approaches, according to the announcement. "We have made tremendous progress to date in programming RNA to develop next-generation vaccines that are multigenic, tunable and, most importantly, scalable for commercially competitive markets such as animal health," said Synthetic Genomics CEO Dr. Oliver Fetzer. "This partnership with Ceva, a leader in animal health, highlights the promise in deploying our synthetic biology capabilities to build RNA systems capable of improving global health in a variety of ways." Financial terms of the agreement were not …
Canine rabies vaccination promises unexpected benefitsSeptember 28, 2017 New research funded by Morris Animal Foundation shows the rabies vaccine may have a positive impact on overall canine health and is associated with a decrease in death from all causes. Darryn Knobel, BVSc MSc MRCVS PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine recently published his research results in the journal Vaccine. What the findings show The study found that vaccination reduces the risk of death from any cause by 56 percent in dogs 0 to 3 months of age. While all dogs had decreased mortality, the percentage decrease was highest in young dogs, with the effect diminishing over time. Dr. Knobel's study area incorporates an impoverished region of South Africa, where infectious diseases, including rabies, are an ever-present threat to humans and dogs. The research team concluded that the decrease in mortality couldn't be explained by a reduction in deaths due to rabies alone. "This led us to propose that the vaccine may have a non-specific protective effect in dogs, perhaps through boosting the immune system to provide enhanced defense against other, unrelated diseases," said Knobel. "A similar phenomenon has been observed in children, although …
UA researchers get $4.8 million to develop valley fever vaccineSeptember 6, 2017The University of Arizona's (UA) efforts to prevent valley fever in dogs received a boost in the way of a $4.8 million, four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, providing the funding necessary to get the disease's delta-CPS1 vaccine to market, according to John Galgiani, MD, director of the UA Valley Fever Center for Excellence and principal investigator of the NIH grant. The vaccine, which could hit the market as soon as five years from now, will be developed for dogs first, but the end goal is to use it in humans, as well, according to Dr. Galgiani. There is currently no prevention or cure for valley fever, which is potentially deadly in both humans and dogs. Every year, an estimated 30,000 people and 60,000 dogs in Arizona get sick from valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, according to UA. The cocci fungus that causes the disease is found mainly in dusty areas of Arizona and California, and it contributed to the deaths of 54 people in Arizona last year, state officials said. Treatment for valley fever is expensive: $4 to $6 per-day meds, blood tests, and additional …
AAHA releases 2017 Canine Vaccination GuidelinesSeptember 5, 2017The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released its newly revised Canine Vaccination Guidelines. Experts and veterinary practitioners believe vaccination protocols should be individualized based on the patient's risk factors, life stage, and lifestyle, according to the Lakewood, Colo.-based organization. Published in the September/October edition of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association—and for the first time as an online educational resource for the veterinary medical profession—these revised guidelines offer important updates to the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines that will help practicing veterinarians meet patient and client needs in a complex infectious disease environment, according to AAHA. The new guidelines include the Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator, an interactive tool to support a veterinary team's vaccination recommendations based on risk factors and lifestyle, quick-reference tables for client-owned and shelter-housed dogs, antibody testing algorithms, recommendations for overdue patients, rabies law and exemption resources, vaccine storage and handling information, immunotherapeutic product summaries, and an expansion of the Frequently Asked Questions section. The guidelines also provide expert insight on several controversial issues, including frequency, dosing, scheduling, and duration of immunity for core and noncore vaccines; titer result interpretation; and adverse reaction identification and reporting, AAHA stated. The …
The Immunity Challenge: Vaccines and petsJune 22, 2017Back in the day, dog and cat vaccines were cut and dry, and all pets were vaccinated annually, except perhaps for very old or sick animals. Today, the subject is much more fluid, as more information comes to light regarding duration of immunity, potential negative outcomes from vaccinating too often and adverse vaccine events.
Chinese vaccine lab to move into KC Animal Health CorridorJune 1, 2017KC Animal Health Corridor of Kansas City, Mo., will soon be getting some new neighbors in its new K-State Office Park Phase II building. That’s because Jinyu Bio-technology Co., Ltd. (also known as Jinyu Corp), has announced will open a vaccine research lab and office in the new building in 2018.
Zoetis: Lepto vaccine may be used with all maresDecember 30, 2016The equine leptospirosis vaccine Lepto EQ Innovator is now approved for use in broodmares during the entire pregnancy, manufacturer Zoetis Inc. reported.
Boehringer to sell vaccine lines to ElancoOctober 5, 2016Elanco Animal Health plans to acquire more than 40 vaccines from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. in a transaction valued at $885 million, the companies announced today.
