The commercialisation of a louping ill (LI) vaccine, developed at Moredun, has been awarded £450k as part of a DEFRA-funded research project, following urgent calls from hill farmers experiencing severe livestock losses, predominantly in sheep. This highly important funding allows Moredun to complete phase 1 of its commercialisation process, and this phase has now commenced through a partner Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), which is transferring the research vaccine technology into a commercial production system.
The DEFRA application was made in partnership with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project. The project, called “UpTick – The impact of environmental change on tick populations and livestock health in the uplands: a case study in Dartmoor”, reflects growing concerns about tick-borne disease. The involvement of UKHSA, a public health body, illustrates the importance of the zoonotic element to LI, as viral loads increase in upland hills and moors causing concerns that humans may become more at risk.
The Dartmoor Hill Farm Project emphasised the urgent and critical need for a LI vaccine to reduce the severe losses they were encountering in sheep mainly, but, following a trend in many upland areas of the UK, more recently in working dogs, cattle and horses. The decision was taken to include the vaccine development in the DEFRA application, resulting in the £450k award.
With further moorland and livestock industry donations, including from the National Sheep Association (NSA) Central and Regional Committees, Moredun has over £1M in donated and pledged funds, with a further £1.2M required to complete phase 2. This momentum in fundraising is continuing to secure the continuous flow of vaccine development through to phase 2, and thereby ensure the vaccine is available in the shortest possible timescale. Phase 3 is the final commercialisation phase, resulting in a fully tested and licensed vaccine on the shelves in veterinary practices ready for sale. This phase will be an investment phase involving the formation of a new company and invitations from individuals and industry to invest.
Professor Tom McNeilly, Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute and Chief Executive of the Moredun Foundation said:
“This DEFRA funding represents a crucial milestone in bringing our louping ill vaccine from the laboratory to the market. The urgency expressed by hill farmers facing devastating livestock losses, combined with growing public health concerns highlighted by UKHSA’s involvement, underscores why this work is so vital. Where there isn’t a clear commercial pathway through traditional industry routes, Moredun is demonstrating that a research institute can step in to bridge that gap.”
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