Translation of virus like particle foot-and-mouth disease vaccine research to commercial development (360G-Wellcome-211272_Z_18_Z)

We will substantially increase the availability of safe, effective and affordable vaccines to control FMD in the most severely affected regions globally, to support the development goal of improving livestock-based livelihoods in rural communities to provide a healthy and attractive life. With our current Wellcome Trust funding we have carried out robust proof of concept studies to show foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus like particles (VLP), for three different strains, can protect cattle from challenge with live virus. To meet the major healthcare challenge, the global undersupply of FMD vaccine, we need to make these VLP a commercially viable product. Whilst major advances have been made with the current funding, significant challenges remain to increase the yield of stabilised VLP to drive down the cost of goods. The funding requested will be used to further improve VLP stability and yield for a wide range of virus strains by a number of complementary innovations, including, structure-based design and refinement of upstream and downstream processes. These new methods will allow effective VLP to be produced for current and newly emerging virus strains. This support requested will facilitate the final step from a research programme to commercial product development.