Aquaculture for all

Replikins Develops Oral Vaccine Against Lethal Virus

US - A Boston company has developed a chemically synthesized vaccine for shrimp specific to a Taura Syndrome virus.

The vaccine by Replikins Ltd, based on the company's patented technology is administered orally and the company claims that in tests it had shown a 91 per cent survival rate from Taura virus.

Replikins Ltd said that the specificity of the protective effect of the vaccine, replikins, was established in control groups by chemically blocking the active regions in the vaccine, and as a result the protective effect was lost in these control groups.

The vaccine, also has a rapid production cycle of seven days and this rapid response time together with early detection are critical to counteracting emerging infectious disease, Replikins Ltd said.

Viruses lethal to shrimp have been responsible for large losses to aquaculture worldwide. Replikins is forming a division to focus on these viruses. The company is also pursuing development of synthetic vaccine products based on replikinsTM epitopes, SyntopesTM, for the control of fish hemorrhagic viruses and other lethal aquatic microorganisms.

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