Portfolio company The Vaccine Group (TVG) has secured over £400,000 in funding through an Innovate UK Smart Grant. CEO Jeremy Salt told Proactive’s Stephen Gunnion the funding will support the development of novel herpesvirus vaccine technology aimed at combating two critical cattle diseases: bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and lumpy skin disease.
Salt highlighted the commercial importance of these diseases, particularly noting that BRSV impacts nearly 2 million calves annually in the UK alone, costing the industry £54 million per year. This grant will allow The Vaccine Group to move from laboratory testing to real-world animal trials in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and The Pirbright Institute.
Salt also shared updates on other key projects, including the company’s efforts in developing vaccines for companion animals such as cats, dogs, and horses, as well as an ongoing Innovate UK grant to target Streptococcus suis in pigs.
