USA: University of Connecticut collaborates with USDA to develop an African swine fever vaccine

African swine fever (ASF), a virus that rapidly infects domestic and wild pigs, could decimate pork-producing economies. Within a year, the disease hit China with a loss equivalent to one percent of its GDP. In response to the spread of the virus from its origins in sub-Saharan Africa to other continents, scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) have developed candidate vaccines considered “promising” by independent researchers. The ASFV-G-ΔMGF vaccine candidate was one such candidate and was recently licensed for commercial development by Zoetis, an offshoot of medical company Pfizer and the world's largest producer of animal pharmaceuticals. UConn Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) worked with the USDA to facilitate an agreement that would allow the USDA to negotiate licenses with animal health companies like Zoetis that may eventually bring this vaccine to market. TCS works with faculty and researchers ...