AgriLabs today announced the introduction of a new innovative custom vaccine option for swine veterinarians and producers. AgriLabs custom vaccines combine the benefits of herd-specific autogenous vaccines with proprietary production processes and ENABL adjuvant technology designed to improve vaccine performance.

“The custom vaccine market has seen little innovation in recent years despite a growing number of companies,” says Sean O’Hare, AgriLabs executive vice president. “Our technological advancements allow us to deliver a custom vaccine option that is truly different from — and better designed to evolve with your health management practices than — others in the market.”

O’Hare says proprietary production processes will help AgriLabs produce custom vaccines from particular strains of certain swine diseases, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, that have evolved to become harder for other custom vaccine manufacturers to grow. “Making custom vaccines for hard-to-grow virus strains has become a particular challenge in the industry, and our scientists have developed novel techniques to address that challenge,” O’Hare says.

In addition, O’Hare says the company’s recently patented ENABL adjuvant technology will be a key differentiator.

“ENABL novel adjuvants feature a patented lipid/polymer matrix to which antigens attach for efficient delivery to target cells,” says O’Hare. “That means higher absorption of antigen to immune cells. The result is a greater immune response — and a custom vaccine offering unlike any other.”

Because it’s a nanoparticle, ENABL has the benefit of dispersing the vaccine rapidly from the injection site to activate the immune system. This rapid processing in injection sites differs from many traditional adjuvants that can be associated with lingering vaccine mass at the injection site, and with local inflammation and longer pre-slaughter withholding requirements.

AgriLabs custom vaccines can include bacterins, viruses or a combination of both. They are also easy to use, O’Hare says. They feature superior syringeability, as well as a 21-day withdrawal period — the lowest allowed for food animals.

“The ENABL technology and other innovations AgriLabs is introducing make custom vaccines even more attractive to the swine industry — and give the industry even more viable options for reducing the use of antibiotics,” O’Hare says.

AgriLabs’ commitment to custom vaccines includes the construction of a new state-of-the-art vaccine production facility in Lincoln, Neb. In addition, AgriLabs has added a cutting-edge diagnostic lab with new capabilities for disease identification and sequencing for herd-specific vaccine production.

“We are proud of the team we’ve assembled to support the swine industry’s custom vaccine needs,” O’Hare says. “From diagnostics to production to technical sales support, our team knows the challenges of an evolving swine industry. We are ready to apply our deep experience to address the industry’s herd-specific disease issues.”