Valneva Announces the Approval and Launch in South America of a Second Veterinary Vaccine Produced in the EB66® Cell Line

European biotechnology company Valneva SE (Valneva) announced today the approval and launch of a second veterinary vaccine produced in the EB66® cell line. The vaccine for the prevention of inclusion body hepatitis virus (IBH) was developed by Lima (Peru) based biopharmaceutical company FARVET SAC (FARVET), and will also be available for sale in Peru and several other South American countries.

Inclusion body hepatitis is an acute disease of young chickens associated with anemia and hemorrhagic disorders. The vaccine is routinely used in many Central and South American countries. FARVET, which licensed the EB66® cell line in June 2012, developed and launched the IBH vaccine into the market in only 20 months.

Dr. Manolo Fernandez Diaz, Chief Executive Officer of FARVET, commented, “At FARVET, we are extremely pleased with the performance and use of EB66® cells. The IBH vaccine we have produced in EB66® cells has proven to be very effective and offers excellent protection. We anticipate that we will continue to develop additional vaccines in EB66® cells as they represent an excellent replacement for egg-based vaccine production and appreciate the support provided by Valneva during this program.”

Thomas Lingelbach, President and Chief Executive Officer and Franck Grimaud, President and Chief Business Officer of Valneva, added, “This is an important milestone for Valneva as the EB66® platform continues to be adopted world-wide. We are looking forward to FARVET developing future vaccines using the EB66® cell line in what has been a very successful program highlighting the rapid development timelines possible with EB66® cells.”

Under the current commercial license, FARVET has the rights to develop two additional vaccines using Valneva’s EB66® cell line.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed but do include milestone payments and royalties on net sales of the product.

See Farvet´s showcase in Spanish, click here

About the EB66^® Cell Line
Valneva’s EB66^®cell line is a highly efficient platform for vaccine production. It is derived from duck embryonic stem cells and today represents a compelling alternative to the use of chicken eggs for large scale manufacturing of human and veterinary vaccines. To date, Valneva has more than 35 research and commercial agreements with the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies to utilize its EB66® technology. The first veterinary vaccine using EB66® technology received market approval in 2012 and a new drug application (NDA) for human pandemic influenza is currently under review in Japan.