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Frontier IP Group PLC on Monday said its portfolio company Vaccine Group Ltd has achieved ‘outstanding’ results in animal trials for two vaccine candidates targeting bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), a major livestock disease. The London-based intellectual property commercialisation firm said the trials, conducted by the UK government’s Animal & Plant Health Agency, showed the vaccines safely prevented BRSV in calves, a cause of bovine respiratory disease estimated to cost UK farmers £54 million and the global industry as much as £5.6 billion annually. Vaccine Group, a University of Plymouth spin-out in which Frontier IP holds a 17% stake, developed the vaccine candidates using its bovine herpesvirus platform technology. Shares in Frontier IP Group were up 6.3% at 24.98 pence in London on Monday afternoon. The trials mark the first time the platform has successfully demonstrated disease prevention in cattle, Frontier said. In the study, vaccinated calves were infected with BRSV and compared with a control group. The treated animals showed no signs of illness and minimal lung damage, while the unvaccinated group displayed significant symptoms. The company said its vaccine can be administered to very young calves, even in the presence of maternal antibodies, which typically render current commercial vaccines ineffective. Vaccine Group Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Salt said: ‘These results are a fantastic endorsement of the platform that we use for vaccine development. A novel BRSV vaccine that induces sterilising immunity in maternal antibody positive calves without adding to the circulating BRSV strain pool is a market-leading product.’ Frontier IP CEO Neil Crabb added: ‘On every metric, TVG’s BRSV vaccines have delivered exceptional results and provided strong validation for the company’s bovine herpesvirus vaccine delivery platform. We now look forward to the next steps in the vaccines’ progress to full commercialisation and validation for the platform in different species.’ Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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