Clinical trials are underway in the UK to test a new vaccine candidate for African swine fever (ASF), a disease that has impacted more than 64 countries and led to the loss of over two million pigs globally since 2022, reported Vet Times.
The trials are being conducted by The Pirbright Institute in partnership with The Vaccine Group (TVG). In the study, vaccinated pigs will be exposed to a virulent ASF strain through simulated natural infection routes to assess vaccine performance.
TVG chief executive Jeremy Salt said the vaccine delivers multiple ASF-derived antigenic proteins and is compatible with DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) diagnostics, making it well-suited for disease surveillance. Salt noted that while some live attenuated vaccines have been deployed in Southeast Asia, they have raised safety concerns, an issue the new vaccine aims to overcome.
Pirbright’s ASF vaccinology group leader Chris Netherton said results would be published as soon as available.
