Meat & Livestock Australia: a new cattle tick vaccine for Australia - licensing opportunity

Opportunity for

• Animal health companies with capability commercialising animal vaccines
• Investors and collaboration partners worldwide.

Opportunity description

Industry challenge:

The Northern Australian cattle industry incurs losses of A$175 million each year due to the impact of ticks and tick-borne diseases, and through treatment costs to ensure compliance with regulatory protocols for interstate and international livestock movement. Due to the high costs associated with losses to the cattle industry, the cattle industry and governments worldwide have identified the development of a tick vaccine with 12-month immunity duration and 90% efficacy as a high priority.

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) have identified nine novel antigens for use against cattle ticks. Initial in-vivo results demonstrate potential use of the antigens in a vaccine to reduce the incidence of cattle tick.

A final 2 candidate vaccine antigens were tested in a longevity trial (9 months including 2 tick infestations) which showed a combined efficacy of 87%. The efficacy was 83% after the first challenge and 90% after the second in a group of 6 vaccinated hereford steers. The antigens produce bovine immune responses that interfere with tick feeding and egg laying. The adult female ticks were black and did not lay eggs.

Current opportunity:

Meat & Livestock Australia are seeking expression of interests (EOI) to license for development, registration and commercialisation of a tick vaccine from the identified antigens, particularly for the Australian cattle industry but also for overseas distribution.

To find out more about the opportunity ‘Enquire now’.