DIAH Conference

STAR-IDAZ participated in the inaugural edition of the Discovery to Innovation in Animal Health conference (6-8 February, Ghent). By contributing to networking and matchmaking between researchers and industry, familiarizing researchers to the industrial innovation process, IP and regulatory frameworks and learning entrepreneurial research to pitch their technology to industry, we accelerate innovation in animal health. We sponsored two presentations on emerging technologies on a STAR-IDAZ priority topic. Paul Hodgson (VIDO, Canada) presented a novel, patented vaccine for control of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle. It is the first patented vaccine for the control of CBPP that is safer, more stable and does not impede the use of antibiotics after vaccination. It could present a major step in the control on one of the highest priority diseases of sub-Saharan Africa.

The second pitch was delivered by Sanjay Vashee (J. Craig Venter Institute, USA) on reverse genetic approaches to engineer African swine fever virus and accelerate vaccine development. The approaches significantly reduce the time needed to generate multiple vaccine candidates. Moreover, a vaccine candidate was presented that shows 100% protection with a very favourable safety profile that is ready for the late discovery phase for addressing regulatory requirements. The candidate, based on genotype IX virus is suitable as a vaccine for East Africa. Moreover, the gene deletion in question can be transferred to a genotype II virus, to make a vaccine for Europe and Asia. Congratulations to both speakers and hopefully these technologies will find their way to the market. STAR-IDAZ will continue to support similar innovation accelerator activities in the future.