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