Production of vaccine antigen to influenza virus serum types H5, H7 and H9 through synthesis of cell-free protein: cooperation between the University of São Paulo, FAPESP and Biovet Animal Health

• Grant number: 18/14047-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• Start date: July 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Marco Antonio Stephano
• Grantee: Marco Antonio Stephano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Company: Laboratório Bio Vet S/A
• CNAE: Criação de aves ; Fabricação de medicamentos para uso veterinário ; Atividades veterinárias
• CNAE: Criação de aves ; Fabricação de medicamentos para uso veterinário ; Atividades veterinárias
• City: São Paulo
• Pesquisadores principais: Jony Takao Yoshida
• Associated researchers: Adriano Rodrigues Azzoni ; Edison Luiz Durigon

Abstract

Brazil is the world's leading chicken exporter and the third largest poultry producer in the world in the last 10 years. The State of São Paulo is responsible for the sale of US $ 400 million per year of chicken meat. One of the major concerns of producers is to ensure the absence of avian influenza in the national territory. For countries such as the USA to date, have recorded sanitary slaughtering in more than 45 million birds. The entry of influenza viruses, mainly H5 and H7 type sera, in Brazil could lead to a loss of leadership in the export of chicken meat. And despite efforts to monitor the presence of the virus in the national territory by maintaining specialized laboratories, the detection of the virus could be late, reducing the capacity for preventive measures to be effective, leading to slaughter as in many leading countries of production. The possibility of quickly obtaining an avian influenza vaccine that possesses quality, safety and efficacy would be an important alternative as an option to isolate epidemic areas through the application of a vaccine belt, in the same way as e in cattle in relation to foot-and-mouth disease. In addition, maintaining strategic stockpiles of avian influenza vaccines is part of the New Castle Disease and Avian Influenza Contingency Plan of the Agricultural Ministry. Recombinant protein synthesis technology by the cell-free platform has become absolutely viable with scalability up to 100 Liters and with a productivity of 100mg/ml. This new technological platform brings numerous advantages. However, the main disadvantage is related to the cost of production (200% higher), which is reduced by productivity and consequently by the number of doses produced. The Laboratory Biovet Animal Health is one of the biggest producers of avian vaccine, among other species, in Brazil. Investments in technological development and innovation are close to 500 thousand dollar per year. Developing the vaccine for avian influenza could incorporate another 1,6 million dollar per year to its billing, committing only the reserves for preventive measures. (AU)