Partnership develops innovative vaccine and companion diagnostic test
The Pirbright Institute is leading an international three-year project funded by the UK Vaccine Network to develop a pioneering bivalent vaccine that protects pigs against Nipah virus and pseudorabies.
Addressing a critical gap in global animal and public health preparedness, the project - Duo-ProTectz - builds on earlier research that showed a vaccine candidate could protect pigs against both diseases.
Nipah virus is a highly pathogenic zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans and has been identified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen with epidemic and pandemic potential. The most severe recorded outbreak, in Malaysia in 1998 to 99, was linked to pig-to-human transmission and resulted in the culling of more than one million pigs, causing economic losses estimated at £433 million ($582m USD).
Duo-ProTectz brings together a consortium of scientific and commercial expertise including Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), BioStone Animal Health in the USA, and three UK partners: the translational research and innovation organisation CPI, Vetquest Research and BioVacc Consulting.
Led by Professor Simon Graham, Head of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Immunology at The Pirbright Institute, the work will focus on demonstrating the vaccine's commercial viability through further manufacturing, safety and efficacy studies, alongside the development of a companion diagnostic test.
Despite the continued threat posed by Nipah virus, there are no licensed vaccines available for pigs or humans.
“Our goal is to deliver a practical and commercially viable solution that can be integrated into existing pig vaccination programmes in countries at risk from Nipah virus outbreaks,” said Professor Graham.
“By combining protection against pseudorabies and Nipah virus in a single vaccine, we aim to provide farmers with a cost-effective tool that protects livestock while reducing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission to people. We are also keen to talk to potential commercial partners who could bring Duo-ProTectz to market.”
The research is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN), a UK International Development programme to develop vaccines for diseases with epidemic potential in low- and middle-income countries.
The vaccine uses a live attenuated pseudorabies virus vaccine platform that is already widely used in pig populations across Southeast Asia. Researchers have engineered the vaccine to express key Nipah virus proteins, enabling it to generate immunity against both pathogens.
Previous studies demonstrated that vaccinated pigs developed protective immune responses against both Nipah and pseudorabies viruses, supporting further development towards commercial deployment.
Duo-ProTectz will focus on:
- Scaling up vaccine manufacturing and establishing quality control procedures for commercial production.
- Defining the minimum effective dose and optimal dosing regimen.
- Conducting comprehensive safety studies in piglets and pregnant sows.
- Developing a diagnostic test capable of differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) to support disease surveillance and international trade.
- Producing a data package to support engagement with commercial partners and future regulatory approval.
BioStone Animal Health will develop the DIVA ELISA - a key diagnostic test to distinguish naturally infected animals from vaccinated animals. This capability is considered essential for disease monitoring, outbreak control and maintaining confidence in international trade of pigs and pork products. The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, which produced the PrV-vectored vaccine candidates evaluated in earlier projects, will provide technical advice, perform and analyse the NiV efficacy trials and the evaluation of the DIVA ELISA performance.
“BioStone is pleased to support the Duo-ProTectz project by contributing diagnostic and reagent development expertise to advance DIVA testing workflows that support vaccine evaluation, disease surveillance, and future outbreak preparedness,” said Adam Contreras, Director of Protein Engineering at BioStone Animal Health.
As one of the few facilities worldwide with the required biosafety conditions to work with Nipah virus infected pigs, the FLI will assess the vaccine's protective effect against Nipah virus, comparing protection levels across different doses and vaccination schemes.
The project is specifically focused on supporting countries where Nipah virus remains a threat to livelihoods and public health, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, India and Bangladesh.
By leveraging a vaccine platform already widely accepted by pig producers, the consortium aims to facilitate rapid adoption without significant changes to existing vaccination practices.
Vaccine and diagnostic tests are expected to enter full commercial development in 2028, with the consortium engaging animal health companies, regulators and policymakers to support licensing and deployment. If successful, the vaccine could provide dual protection for millions of pigs across Southeast Asia reducing the risk of future Nipah virus outbreaks while strengthening both economic resilience and public health.
Businesses interested in working with the consortium to develop Duo-ProTectz should contact Professor Simon Graham.