Moredun Research Institute’s groundbreaking crowdfunding campaign to bring a new louping-ill vaccine to market has been featured on BBC Scotland’s Landward programme.
The institute has developed a new-generation virus vaccine to protect sheep against Louping Ill Virus (LIV), a disease that has been spreading since the previous vaccine was withdrawn in 2017. With tick populations increasing and expanding into new areas, cases of Louping Ill have risen, posing a major challenge for the sheep industry.
Speaking to BBC Landward, lead scientist David Griffiths explained why a readily-available vaccine is so important for farmers. The disease is particularly devastating to sheep and red grouse, though it can also infect cattle, horses, dogs, and humans.
Building on Moredun’s legacy of Louping Ill research — having developed the first vaccine in the 1930s and a second version in the 1970s — the new vaccine has shown high levels of protection in experimental trials.
Due to the limited size of the UK market, traditional routes to commercialisation through large pharmaceutical companies are not viable. Instead, Moredun is working with industry partner Kernfarm and has launched a crowdfunding campaign with an initial target of £720,000 to transfer vaccine production to a commercial manufacturer and scale up production.
The Scottish Government has pledged up to £100,000 in match funding for the project. In a BBC article, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon said:
“This invaluable work by Moredun is an excellent example of the sector working together to find solutions to the challenges it faces. I hope our £100,000 match funding pledge amplifies the industry support to develop and bring this vital vaccine to market.”
Find out more and donate: https://moredun.org.uk/donate-louping-ill
Watch the BBC feature: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002kyhj
For further information, contact Andrew Kelloe, Knowledge Exchange and Communications Manager: 0131 445 6146
