SASKATCHEWAN LAB FIRST TO PRODUCE NEW SWINE VACCINE

A new swine vaccine, developed in Québec, will be produced in Saskatoon by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) beginning this month. This is the first live animal vaccine in the past decade to be developed, validated, and produced in Canada.

Prevtec Microbia Inc., a Québec-based animal health company, and SRC recently received Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approval to produce and market Coliprotec, a vaccine that controls a common disorder in pigs.

"This new vaccine can provide some comfort for farmers who face losing a good portion of their swine population to disease," Minister responsible for SRC Lyle Stewart said. "The opportunity to produce animal vaccines will help bring new business to Saskatchewan and new health care products to livestock producers in this province and throughout Canada."

In partnership with Prevtec, SRC carried out the pre-license serial testing work in its Biosafety Level 2 Fermentation Pilot Plant in order to secure CFIA regulatory approval to commercialize the vaccine.

"We are very proud of the achievement of another Saskatchewan first," SRC president and CEO Dr. Laurier Schramm said. "We are now the only contract research organization in Canada with this type of regulatory approval to produce animal vaccines."

"Coliprotec will dramatically help the swine industry in Canada," Prevtec president and CEO Michel Fortin said. "There has been a strong demand from industry for this type of vaccine. It effectively controls post-weaning diarrhea in swine, a common disorder that can spread easily and result in major financial losses for a producer. About one pig farm in four will, at some point, be affected by the disease. It may be responsible for a mortality rate as high as 10 per cent in affected populations."

Approximately 30 million piglets are raised in Canada (2.6 million in Saskatchewan) each year. Nationally, pig exports are responsible for economic activity of approximately $7.5 billion annually and about 42,000 jobs.

The vaccine was developed by Drs. John Morris Fairbrother and Éric Nadeau of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal. Prevtec is a spin-off company that resulted from this research. It was established in 2003 to develop technologies for the prevention and control of bacterial infections for the animal health and agri-food sectors.

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For more information, contact:

Karen Potter
Saskatchewan Research Council
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-933-7089

Michel Fortin
Prevtec Microbia Inc.
Saint-Hyacinthe
Phone: 514- 891-0404