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Apiam Animal Health Limited (Apiam, the Company) today announced it has been awarded a grant of $700,000 under the Victorian State Government’s Regional Jobs Fund to build a new state-of-the-art viral vaccine laboratory targeting emerging viral pathogens.
The grant will be presented to Apiam this afternoon in Bendigo by the Minister for Regional Development, Mary-Anne Thomas.
The new laboratory will address the demand from the domestic agricultural industry for locally produced animal vaccines, targeting a range of endemic and emerging viruses including Japanese Encephalitis, currently affecting the domestic pig segment. New pathogens continue to emerge and some are predicted to be an ongoing problem for livestock producers.
Completion of the overall laboratory project is expected by 2025 and Apiam’s laboratory will meet the highest biosecurity standards, with the modular design enabling flexible scale-up as required.
Dr Chris Richards said, “Our plans to develop Australia’s first dedicated permit-based viral vaccine facility are central to Apiam’s strategy to lead product innovation within the animal health segment. We see significant market potential for new viral vaccine technologies, both domestically and in New Zealand where we currently supply bacterial vaccines. Autogenous vaccine production can be targeted to combat a range of viruses affecting livestock and play an important role in preventing animal diseases”.
Apiam currently manufactures autogenous vaccines for bacterial diseases in pigs, poultry and cattle through its existing ACE Laboratories, also located in Bendigo. Autogenous (or custom) vaccines are critical for livestock industries where commercial vaccines fail or don’t exist. This is something that is occurring more often as new strains emerge, or when commercial vaccines are not available such as during supply chain disruptions which are becoming more prevalent. Apiam acquired ACE Laboratories in 2019 and has developed three new innovative vaccines which have recently commenced commercialization.
Dr Richards added, “We look forward to being able to provide a greater range of animal health solutions to our customer base and working with our livestock industries and communities to deliver better protection for their livestock. We are also pleased to add approximately 40 jobs to our local Regional Victorian communities”.
Partnership with La Trobe University
Apiam has an ongoing relationship with La Trobe University, a recognized leader in agricultural sciences research.
Scientists at La Trobe University have developed a leading platform vaccine technology which allows for safe and rapid vaccine production, which is seen as particularly valuable in the face of the current Japanese Encephalitis outbreak.
The parties are currently working towards executing a formal collaboration agreement.
March 29, 2022 - Apiam Animal Health Limited
