Kemin Industries, with its subsidiary Kemin Biologics, has signed an exclusive agreement with Pacific GeneTech (PGT) to license PGT's TMH001 Eimeria vaccine for poultry.

PGT is a biologics company that develops and commercializes next-generation vaccines for areas of highly unmet or underserved needs in animal health and food safety, the announcement from Kemin said.

TMH001 is the only inactivated, oral vaccine that contains highly conserved Apicomplexan antigens and the patented Hercules adjuvant that are delivered by a novel, proprietary Pichia yeast vector, according to the announcement. As a cross-protective vaccine on the market for Eimeria, it will provide a safe and effective alternative solution to the use of antibiotics and disease inducing live vaccines.

On signing the license agreement, PGT chief executive officer Tim Collard said, "With its proven commitment to new and sustainable technologies for food security and safety, Kemin was the ideal partner for TMH001. We are thrilled to be working side by side with them to bring innovative solutions to market that are needed in the animal health industry."

Kemin Biologics, a division of Kemin Industries that focuses on developing vaccines as the first line of defense against disease to reduce the use of antibiotics, entered into this partnership with PGT last month.

As part of its partnership with PGT, Kemin will focus on developing the Eimeria vaccine and registering it in the U.S. and other countries, beginning with the European Union. Kemin will also expand the Eimeria vaccine's availability to Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, the announcement said.

"Kemin sees great potential in the marketplace for innovative vaccines and is dedicated to improving the health of poultry and livestock, which ensures the safety of our global food supply," Kemin Industries president and CEO Dr. Chris Nelson said. "This new agreement with Pacific GeneTech continues our advancement in providing next-generation vaccines that have the ability to transform the quality of life around the world."

In addition to a high safety profile, TMH001 provides demonstrable cross-protection against five economically important species of Eimeria and has the potential to protect against more species, Kemin said.

TMH001 was developed from PGT's proprietary Aegis vaccine platform, which has produced other cross-protective vaccines that address multiple pathogens, Kemin noted. The platform was originally developed by the University of Arkansas's Poultry Health Laboratory, in collaboration with other U.S. universities and support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.