PRRS Viral Antigen Concentrate Subunit Vaccine

NEWS RELEASE   

For Immediate Release

NEW WEAPON IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PRRSV

MANKATO, MN (May 31, 2006) – MJ Biologics, based in Mankato, MN has launched Selectigen™ MJPRRS™ Technology (patent pending) for producing PRRS Viral Antigen Concentrate Subunit Vaccine. The autogenous (custom) vaccine is produced using the Selectigen™ MJPRRS™ Technology.  This technology was originally invented by Dr. HanSoo Joo, professor at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine and exclusively licensed from the University of Minnesota. 

This process focuses on selectively harvesting and concentrating viral antigens from PRRS-infected tissue culture prior to assembling an intact virus. Under this new technology, cells are harvested at a point in time to achieve the optimum degree of incubation, harvesting, and inactivation prior to the release of mature virus with intact envelopes. The individual viral antigen components are then concentrated in a free form. The vaccine produced through this Selectigen™ MJPRRS™ process is able to maximize the viral antigen content in the product. 

In field trials, autogenous vaccine formulated using this method offered cross protection against several different strains of the PRRS virus.  Several experimental studies pursued by veterinarians demonstrated protection against heterologous PRRS virus challenge.  For instance, in trials including unvaccinated naïve gilts and vaccinated sows from a 5000-sow farm, the study proved much better cross-protection than has been shown with other PRRS-control strategies.  In these trials, the challenge viruses used were strains unrelated with those in the vaccine, and were also different from any strains to which the sows in the test herd had been exposed.  

MJ Biologics has sublicensed the Selectigen™ MJPRRS™ Technology to Newport Laboratories, Worthington, MN, to market and distribute autogenous biologics. Newport is currently accepting orders for custom products made from PRRS virus collected from affected swine herds.

 For more information on the Selectigen™ MJPRRS™ Technology, as well as subsequent autogeneous biologics, contact MJ Biologics at (507) 385-0299, or at www.mjbio.com or Newport Laboratories at (800) 220-2522 or at www.newportlabs.com

 - end -