Uvaxx vaccine to prevent scale drop disease virus shows promise

SINGAPORE – Uvaxx recently announced the successful development of a novel epitope-based vaccine that can defend against the scale drop disease virus (SDDV) infection in barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass. 

Uvaxx, a subsidiary of Barramundi Group and the Agency for Science, Technology,, and Research (A*STAR), describes the vaccine as a potential game-changer for the aquaculture sector. 

SDDV, endemic in Southeast Asia, causes fish to shed scales, develop skin lesions, and suffer high mortality rates, sometimes up to 70 percent in both young and adult fish.

The newly developed vaccine aims to protect fish from SDDV by combining specific parts of the virus known as epitopes, which trigger immune responses. This approach strengthens the fish’s natural defenses against the virus. 

According to Uvaxx, the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 75 percent and is set to be integrated into routine operations at hatcheries and fish farms. Currently, there are no commercially available solutions to defend against SDDV, making this development a significant milestone.

Dr. Sunita Awate, Research Director at Uvaxx, emphasized the importance of this breakthrough. 

“Through our 12 years of experience working with farmers to provide veterinary services and fish health solutions, we have witnessed firsthand the severity and devastation caused by SDDV. Asian sea bass farmers across the region need and want a solution. Having an efficacious SDDV vaccine can lead to a paradigm shift in aquaculture disease management, from a reactive to preventative approach, and transform farm production unit economics,” she stated in a press release.

The epitope-based technology used in this vaccine is novel in fish health applications. Conventional fish vaccines typically use inactivated or attenuated viruses, while more modern approaches in human health utilize recombinant proteins, mRNA, or DNA vaccines. 

The project team, combining A*STAR’s infectious diseases expertise and Uvaxx’s aquatic health and diagnostic expertise, oversaw the end-to-end vaccine development process, ensuring high standards of quality and safety.

Dr. Ken Loh, senior scientist at A*STAR ID Labs, outlined the development process: “The vaccine development process comprised developing the virus infection model, developing advanced lab systems to study the virus, detailed mapping of viral proteins to identify immune triggering parts, rigorous lab trials, and efficacy analysis.”

Professor Renia Laurent Claude Stéphane, A*STAR senior fellow, added that the the epitopes,  derived from pathogen proteins, are the targets of specific arms of the immune system, such as antibodies that neutralize viral particles, and killer cells that directly eliminate infected cells and regulate immune responses. 

“In many ways, this epitope-based vaccine design is novel for the aquaculture sector, and we are energized and committed to identifying more use cases of this technology together with Uvaxx,” she explained. 

According to the company, the next steps for the vaccine involve translational research to bring the product to market, conducting commercial-scale field trials with local farm partners, and concurrently assessing vaccine safety and efficacy. 

Additionally, setting up the vaccine manufacturing process and securing regulatory approval are crucial steps in the journey to make this innovative solution widely available to farmers.

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