Unmet Market Needs

Swine Dysentery

Swine Dysentery is a disease of growing pigs that impacts negatively on performance. The high cost of disease is associated with continuous in-feed medication, mortality (low) and morbidity (high) as well as a depression of growth and feed convestion efficiency. The minimum impact of swine dysentery on production is AUD $2.60/pig and can potentially result in global losses of up to AUD $1.4 billion/pa at an incidence of 40%.

The development of immunity to swine dysentery is slow and pigs may succumb to infections a number of times before full immunity is achieved. Currently, swine dysentery is treated using antibiotics that cost an estimated AUD $0.75 for a 40kg grower pig. The effectiveness of this treatment protocol is currently being reviewed by global regulatory authorities due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

There are currently no effective and sustainable treatments for swine dysentery.

Incidence in the EU	Up to 40%
Effect on Average Daily Gain (gm/day)	Reduction of 10-17% [1]
Pattern of Infectivity	Slow spreading from pen to pen or along drainage channels
Effect on Feed Conversion Rate	Increase by 3-10% [1]
Prevalence in Herd	90% morbidity in weanlings, reaching 75% of all pigs on farm
Cost of disease/pig	AUD $2.60 - 8.60 [2] / AUD $15.0 [3] / AUD $8.28 [4]

Table 1.2: Negative effect of swine dysentery on Average Daily Gain, Feed Conversion Rate and the Cost of Disease.

[1] Dufresne, L. 1999. Allan D. Leman Conference. pp 193-196.
[2] Lysons RJ. (1983) European perspectives on control of Swine dysentery. In Proc Am Assoc Swine Pract.
[3] Wood EN, Lysons RJ. (1988) The financial benefit from eradication of swine dysentery. Vet Rec 121: 277-279
[4] Walter DN, Kinyon JM. (1990) Recent MIC determination of six antimicrobials for Treponema hyodysenteriae in the United States; Use of tiamulin to eliminate swine dysentery from to farrow to finish herds. Proc Int Congr Pig Vet Soc 11:129.

Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis

Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis is an emerging disease capable of causing significant economic and production loss to the poultry industry. Recent studies in the UK reported that Brachyspira infections reduced egg production by at least 10%. Of the 4.3 billion laying chickens in the world, approximately 1.1 billion (25%) are potentially infected with Brachyspira. Approximately 20% of the infected chickens will have recalcitrant strains, accounting for the immediate market opportunity for a vaccine targeting avian intestinal spirochaetosis.

An independent, global conjoint analysis with 36 specialist poulty veterinarian in the EU and the US revealed the following:

1. 64% recognized AIS as a significant disease of poultry
2. 69% have no means to diagnose or treat the disease
3. 81% are not treating AIS due to the lack of registered products
4. 50% have no access to treatment and are concerned with unregistered treatment options

There are currently no registed nor effective options for the control of AIS. Current diagnosis for AIS is culture-based and is insensitive and time-consuming.

Figure 1.3: Graph showing the effect of Brachyspira intermedia infection on a free range flock with a 12.6% drop in egg production at 26 weeks of age noted. Failure to recover to breed standard by 46 weeks of age was also noted. (Figure supplied by David Burch, Octagon Services)