ECO Animal Health Secures Global License for Vaxinano’s Late-Stage Ovine Toxoplasmosis Vaccine

ECO Animal Health Group plc (AIM: EAH), a global leader in livestock productivity and welfare solutions, has signed a perpetual, exclusive global licensing agreement with French biotechnology company Vaxinano SAS.

The deal grants ECO exclusive rights to complete final development and commercialize Vaxinano’s late-stage candidate vaccine against toxoplasmosis in sheep across all major commercial livestock markets worldwide. The vaccine platform is backed by comprehensive international patent protection.

The transaction significantly expands ECO’s preventative medicine portfolio, targeting a major infectious cause of ovine reproductive failure globally.

Combatting Ovine Toxoplasmosis & Economic Loss

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, remains one of the primary infectious causes of ovine reproductive failure worldwide. When naive ewes become infected during gestation, the parasite targets maternal and fetal tissues, leading to:

• High Abortion Rates: Spontaneous embryonic death and mid-to-late term abortions.

• Perinatal Losses: Stillbirths and the delivery of diseased, non-viable lambs.

• Economic Strain: Severe financial impact on flock productivity, breeding cycles, and farm profitability

By adding Vaxinano’s novel prophylactic technology to its pipeline, ECO aims to provide veterinarians and sheep producers with an effective preventative tool to safeguard lambing yields and improve flock welfare.

Platform Technology & Portfolio Expansion

Vaxinano’s biotechnology platform focuses on innovative prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines designed to induce robust mucosal and cellular immune responses without requiring traditional live-attenuated pathogens.

Management Insights & Strategic Fit

“Securing this perpetual exclusive license with Vaxinano represents another strategic milestone for ECO Animal Health as we continue building out our preventative medicines pipeline. Toxoplasmosis poses a severe threat to sheep health and farm productivity globally. By taking this late-stage vaccine candidate through to commercialization, we are strengthening our commitment to non-antibiotic preventative health solutions for livestock.”

— Executive Leadership, ECO Animal Health Group plc

This acquisition reinforces ECO’s corporate strategy to shift toward biologicals and preventative pharmaceuticals, aligning with global veterinary trends aimed at enhancing livestock welfare and reducing reliance on post-infection treatments.