Birmingham spin-out seals deal on fish vaccine

Birmingham University spin-out Henderson Morley plc signed a sponsored development and option agreement with Schering-Plough for its Koi Carp herpes vaccine.

Schering will make undisclosed payments towards the development of the vaccine over a 15 month period and has the option to take a ten-year license in the product. Henderson Morley will receive royalties on sales.

At the same time Henderson Morley said it has raised GBP 500,000 in a placing.

Koi herpes virus (KHV) is a recently discovered virus that infects the ornamental fish Koi carp. It was discovered in 1998 in Israel, and has since become a problem for both fish breeders and hobbyists worldwide.

The virus can kill between 90 percent and 95 percent of fish in an infected pond and has the potential to wipe out entire fish farms. The virus flourishes in warmer temperatures and can lie dormant within apparently uninfected fish when the temperature is cool. Although the fish itself would appear well, when the water temperature rises the virus is able to grow, allowing apparently disease-free fish, to act as the source of an outbreak. There is currently no available treatment or vaccine in the EU.