The scientific journal Vaccine has published an article entitled "Sow vaccination with a novel recombinant protein vaccine protects piglets against Streptococcus suis infection" (DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127077), authored by a research team affiliated with Intervacc AB. The article describes the "proof-of-concept" study, which Intervacc previously reported positive results from, involving the vaccination of pregnant sows with a prototype vaccine against the bacterium Streptococcus suis to protect piglets from disease.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a serious pathogen that affects piglets shortly after weaning, leading to diseases such as meningitis, arthritis, endocarditis, and sepsis with a mortality rate of up to 20%. The bacterium causes suffering for the animals and significant economic losses for pig farmers worldwide. Treatment of diseases caused by S. suis currently requires the use of antibiotics. S. suis is also an important cause of zoonotic disease in humans. Overall, this means that addressing the unmet medical need for a safe and efficacious vaccine that protects piglets against S. suis infections is highly desirable.

The vaccine used in the "proof-of-concept" study consists of a set of recombinant proteins. The study shows that protective antibodies from the vaccinated sow were passively transferred via colostrum to piglets, which were protected during the period they were most vulnerable. Vaccinating the sows, rather than all piglets, makes it both simpler and more effective.

There is currently no commercially approved vaccine against S. suis. The cost of infections in pigs caused by S. suis in Europe is estimated to be around 250 million Euros annually. A safe and efficacious vaccine against S. suis would play a significant role in securing food production, improving animal welfare, reducing the need for antibiotics, and not least improving profitability for pig farmers.

For more information please contact:  

Jonas Sohlman, CEO

Phone: +46 (0)8 120 10 600

E-mail: jonas.sohlman@intervacc.se

The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above on April 16, 2025 at 09.45 CET.

About Vaccine

Vaccine is a prominent journal in vaccinology. It is the official journal of The Japanese Society for Vaccinology and is published by Elsevier. More information about the journal can be found at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine.

About Intervacc

Intervacc AB (publ) is an animal health group that develops vaccines for animals. The company develops and sells vaccines against animal diseases based on the proprietary technology platform with fused recombinant proteins. The Intervacc share is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market.

Contact information for Certified Adviser

Eminova Fondkommission AB

E-mail: adviser@eminova.se, Phone: +46 (0)8 - 684 211 10