About

The goal of VAX4ASF is to provide a safe and effective solution against the highly contagious and complex ASF virus that affects pigs and wild boars. To date, only control and eradication measures are available, along with the implementation of strict sanitary procedures are so far available.

Impact

Breakthrough Vaccine Development
To develop novel vaccine prototypes targeting European ASF variants.

Enhanced Immune Response
Novel vaccine prototypes designed to not only trigger the innate immune response but also provide enhanced immunogenic and protective response.

Safety performance
The new prototypes are designed to prioritize safety performance without comprising effectiveness. Thus, overcoming current safety issues associated to ASF LAV.

VAX4ASF will have a profound effect in animal health and worldwide economy and could moreover have a significant impact in society considering the erratic evolution of the virus as well as the lack of effective prevention and controlling measures.

Challenge

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease and has a devastating impact in pigs farming. Beyond the high mortality rates (up to 100% in infected pigs by virulent strains), as soon as an infected animal is detected in a farm in EU all the other animals must be sacrificed. Since its first transcontinental spread in 2007, the epidemiological situation of ASF has progressively worsened, revealing a deeply concerning pattern of continuous spread.

Current strategies

Despite huge international efforts to produce a vaccine against ASF virus, only control and eradication measures and implementation of strict sanitary procedures are so far available. The complex nature of the ASF virus has been the main factor that has hampered ASF vaccine development; therefore, full commercial vaccine candidates are still lacking. Above all these strategies, Live Attenuated Vaccines (LAVs) have been the ultimate trend in ASF vaccine development.

The Change of Paradigm

Live Attenuated Vaccines (LAVs) prompt the innate immune response and enhance the presentation of viral antigens within cells, aiding the immune system in recognizing and combatting the virus upon infection.

While efficacy data exist, LAVs still raise significant safety concerns. Further safety testing is essential for their commercial production, as alterations in the virus genome can result in changes in virulence.

Controlling the replication level for next generation of ASF vaccines, as proposed in VAX4ASF, will be crucial to change the actual paradigm of vaccine development and management of ASF virus.

The control of the virus will be also supported by the generation of specific DIVA tests as well as by the co-creation of the surveillance and ASFV control strategies by all key stakeholders.

Partners

Discover the expertise of the consortium members

project

To achieve this challenging objective VAX4ASF is going to focus on the following project objectives:

Partners

Countries

Years

€ Funding

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