Vivalis and Fort Dodge Animal Health have signed a commercial license to use the EB66 cell line, derived from duck embryonic stem cells, for the production of several veterinary vaccines. The cell line is a product of Vivalis, a French biopharmaceutical company that provides cell-based solutions to the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of vaccines and proteins, and develops drugs for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. “Vivalis is pleased to enter in this new commercial agreement with one of the major players in this field,” said Frank Grimaud, chief executive officer of Vivalis. “This agreement confirms that our EB66 cell line is a very attractive alternative to embryonated eggs for the industrial production of viral vaccines both for human and animal health.” Steve Chu, DVM, Ph.D., executive vice president of animal health research and development at Fort Dodge Animal Health, said: “This collaboration demonstrates Fort Dodge’s continuous commitment to evaluate and utilize novel technology, which may offer several potential advantages over conventional methods for the development and manufacture of biologics for animal health.” Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of Wyeth, is based in Overland Park, Kan. <HOME>
