Prosper Animal Health is addressing multiple applications:

Prosper Animal Health (PAH) is addressing animal infections that devastate the animal health industry worldwide. PAH is developing proprietary and revolutionary vaccines and therapies to prevent and treat these terrible diseases that are common in many animal species. With our proprietary technology, we will be addressing these very important unmet medical needs within the most attractive commercial opportunities for both the owners/producers and PAH.

  • Salmon Aquaculture (Vaccines)

    About 70% of the world’s salmon production is farmed. Farming takes place in large nets in sheltered waters such as fjords or bays. Most farmed salmon come from Norway, Chile, Scotland and Canada. Salmon is a popular food. Salmon consumption is considered to be healthy due to its high content of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids and it is also a good source of vitamins and minerals.
     
    Salmon aquaculture is the farming and harvesting of salmon under controlled conditions for both commercial and recreational purposes. Salmon are the most important fish group in aquaculture (annual estimated production of over 1 billion salmon by 2023). The most common commercially farmed salmon is the Atlantic salmon (66%). In 2011, the aquaculture of salmon was worth over US$10 billion globally. Salmon aquaculture production grew over ten-fold during the 25 years from 1982 to 2007.
     
    Bacterial infections caused by certain Vibrio species and the Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus seriously affect salmon farms in Chile, Norway, Scotland and Canada, causing major economic losses to infected farms (over $300 million). These diseases are highly lethal and, in the worst cases, death rates may approach 100%. They are also a threat to the dwindling stocks of wild salmon.
     
    The possible emergence of pandemic bacterial and viral infections in cultivated Atlantic salmon is a serious concern for the aquaculture industry. Consequently, improving the effectiveness and safety of vaccines and therapies to prevent or reduce the severity of salmon infections is of primary importance to producers and health officials.
     
    PAH is considering several potential options for salmon vaccines
    - Polyvalent vaccine
    - SRS vaccine (salmonid rickettsial septicemia)
    - Sea-lice vaccine or sea-lice therapy

     
    Current Unmet Medical Need
    Current vaccines for salmon bacterial and viral infections are of limited utility, and the current vaccines are nowhere near adequate These vaccines are neither effective nor safe. Sometimes the vaccines used may not protect against the relevant virus or bacteria that are circulating.
     
    In addition, current vaccines for salmon infections are inadequate due to their:

    -Limited amount of protection (efficacy)
    -Limited period of protection at early age and over time
    -Limited duration of antibody response
    -Lack of availability for many types of bacteria and viruses

     
    PAH Medical Solution and Competitive Advantages
    IMT504 has the potential to provide a set of vaccines and therapies that will have:

    -Vastly greater levels of protection (much higher antibody levels and longer duration of antibody protection)
    -Broader cross-protection against other strains due to the diversification of antibody
    -Prolonged period of protection
    -Superior safety profile
    -IMT504 based vaccine will likely replace oil-based adjuvants
    -IMT504 can also be used to produce vaccines more efficiently and economically due to antigen dose-sparing

     
    For more on fish vaccination: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z7YAnFqoBo

  • Canine (Dog Vaccines)

    A new strain of highly contagious canine influenza (flu) has been spreading across the U.S. since March 2015 when more than 1,000 dogs, 5 of which died, were diagnosed in Chicago. By year-end the virus was confirmed in more than 40 states with thousands more dogs affected. Reports indicate that the virus spreads like “wildfire” in kennels, rescues and shelters from sneezing and coughing. Fears of a widening epidemic prompted the USDA to rush marketing approval of two vaccines whose applications for approval had been pending. The virus is continuing to spread rapidly while the new vaccines are being manufactured and distributed to veterinarians. The flu is treatable, but particularly dangerous to dogs under age 1 or over age 7 or for those susceptible to pneumonia. During outbreaks among fully susceptible dogs in close contact (e.g., in kennels), the infection rate may approach 100%, and clinical signs in 60-80% of the dogs is not unusual. Treatment can cost several thousand dollars if the animal has to be hospitalized in isolation.
     
    Current Unmet Medical Need
    Current vaccines are ineffective because:
    -The period of protection is limited because of the drift and shift of the virus (influenza virus strains are constantly mutating and changing to evade host immune responses)
    -The duration of antibody response is limited (antibodies wane over time and protection is lost; hence, the need for repeated annual vaccines)
    -The efficacy or level of protection of the vaccines is insufficient
    -The H3N2 vaccine is not effective for the H3N8 strain; therefore vaccination for both is required

     
    PAH Medical Solution and Competitive Advantage
    IMT504 has the potential to provide a canine influenza vaccine that has:

    -Better cross-protection against other strains of influenza (heterologous protection)
    -Vastly greater levels of protection (much higher antibody levels and longer duration of antibody protection)
    -Significant antigen sparing per dose; leads to lower production costs and better safety profile

  • Poultry (In ovo Vaccines)

    PAH is addressing the need for polyvalent vaccines for chickens that can be administered in the egg (in ovo vaccination). Current chicken vaccines don’t work well and are archaically administered to flocks of chickens. In ovo vaccination represents a more efficient way to administer vaccines to chickens that are about to hatch.
     
    Current Unmet Medical Need
    Current vaccines for chickens are of limited utility and the current vaccines are nowhere near adequate and very hard to give to chickens that are roaming around a barn. Many times, the current vaccines used may not protect against the relevant virus or viruses that are circulating.
     
    In addition, current vaccines for chickens are inadequate due to their:

    -Limited amount of protection (efficacy)
    -Limited period of protection at early age and over time
    -Limited duration of antibody response
    -Lack of availability for many types of bacteria and viruses
    -In addition, current oil-based vaccines have several serious side effects

     
    PAH Medical Solution and Competitive Advantages
    IMT504 has the potential to provide a set of vaccines and therapies that will have:
    -Vastly greater levels of protection (much higher antibody levels and longer duration of antibody protection)
    -Broader cross-protection against other strains
    -Prolonged period of protection
    -Fast onset of protection
    -Superior safety profile
    -IMT504 based vaccine will be oil-free vaccines
    -IMT504 will be used to produce vaccines more efficiently and economically due to antigen dose-sparing

     
    For more on in ovo vaccination: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzdnCSJgdCM

  • Swine PRRS (Vaccines)

    There are many viral diseases that affect pigs. For example, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is the most economically significant disease affecting U.S. swine production. PRRS costs the U.S. pork industry $664 million each year in production losses and nearly another $478 million in veterinary, biosecurity and other outbreak related costs. That’s a total of more than $1.14 billion per year, or over $3.1 million per day.
     
    The disease’s economic impact occurs through a significant increase in death loss, a significant decrease in average daily weight gain, and increased use of ineffective medications. Industry cost estimates for the performance loss and medication is $4.32 per pig.
     
    PRRS is a viral disease that causes a decrease in reproductive performance in breeding animals and respiratory disease in pigs of any age. Pregnant sows infected with PRRS can deliver PRRS virus–infected piglets. PRRS can be transmitted from infected piglets or sows to other piglets. The cycle of virus shedding and infection can continue well into the nursery phase in situations in which the sow herd is actively infected. Piglets that are born weak can experience mortalities exceeding 60%, with death usually occurring in the first week of life. 100% mortality should be expected for piglets born prematurely. PRRSV infection in weaned pigs is characterized by fever, pneumonia, lethargy, and failure to thrive.
     
    Current Unmet Medical Need
    The virus has posed a recurring challenge for the pork industry with 20 to 40% of average breeding herds in the US experiencing outbreaks in a given year.

     
    Current vaccines are ineffective because they
    -Cannot provide sustainable disease control
    -Don’t offer enough protection against the immune evasion of the virus and the antigenic heterogeneity or diversity of field strains
    -Multiple strains are circulating
    -Afford low efficacy with current live attenuated and inactivated vaccines
    -Require greater antigen dosage
    -Have increased level of safety concerns relative to more modern vaccines, like those at PAH

     
    PAH Medical Solution and Competitive Advantage
    IMT504 has the potential to provide a PRRS vaccine that:

    -Drives adaptive immune responses with very high antibodies, antibody persistence, and longevity
    -Has broader protection against diverse virus strains
    -Has a VLP/Virosomal construction that is not alive; therefore, there is no risk for reversion to full pathogenic virus within the herd
    -Offers significant antigen sparing. Current vaccines need a much greater amount of each vaccine component

  • Swine FLU (Vaccines)

    The possible emergence of a pandemic influenza virus in swine with the ability to infect humans is a serious concern for the swine (pork) industry. Consequently, improving the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent or reduce the severity of swine flu is of primary importance to swine producers and health officials. IMT504 has that potential.
     
    Swine flu is a respiratory disease of swine (pigs) caused by multiple subtypes of type A influenza viruses. The virus is endemic in swine populations in North and South America, Asia, and Europe. The clinical signs may include fever, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, coughing, sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, conjunctivitis and labored breathing, although all of these signs do not occur in all infected animals. Clinical signs appear in approximately 2-3 days and the morbidity rate can be extremely high.
     
    Like influenza viruses in humans and other animals, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian (bird) influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect swine, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are three main influenza A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs in the United States: H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2.
     
    Current Unmet Medical Need
    Flu vaccines for swine are helpful, but the current vaccines are nowhere near 100% effective. Sometimes the vaccine used may not protect against the virus or viruses circulating.

     
    In addition, current vaccines for swine influenza are inadequate due to their:
    -Limited amount of protection (efficacy)
    -Limited period of protection due to influenza virus drift and shift (influenza virus strains are constantly mutating and changing to evade host immune responses)
    -Limited duration of antibody response (antibodies wane over time and protection is lost; hence, the need for repeated annual vaccines)
    -Vaccines may not be available for all viruses, or combinations of viruses, present in an area.
    -A poor match between the HA component of the vaccine and the circulating field virus will compromise protection

     
    PAH Medical Solution and Competitive Advantage
    IMT504 has the potential to provide a swine influenza vaccine that has:

    -Vastly greater levels of protection (much higher antibody levels and longer duration of antibody protection)
    -Broader cross-protection against other strains of influenza (heterologous protection)
    -Prolonged period of protection
    -Superior safety profile
    -Could be produced more efficiently than current vaccines (antigen dose-sparing)