Ovagen Group Limited, an innovation-led Irish biotech, has announced groundbreaking results from a Yellow Fever virus yield study that could transform the economics of global vaccine manufacturing.
Conducted at The Pirbright Institute (UK), a world-renowned centre tackling viral diseases of livestock, the comparative study showed that Ovagen’s Germ Free embryonated chicken eggs delivered up to 7,600 doses of yellow fever virus 17D per egg compared to just 422 doses per Specified Pathogen-Free (SPF) Egg using current industry standards.
With a current global shortfall of 60 million yellow fever vaccines per year, Ovagen’s technology can help scale up production of yellow fever vaccine production by reducing reliance on key raw material inputs such as SPF eggs, antibiotics, and downstream processing resources. More than 140,000 eggs would be required to satisfy the current global shortfall using current industry standards compared with just 7,894 eggs using Ovagen’s technology.
The improved yield also dramatically reduces the volume of antibiotics typically required in conventional egg-based manufacturing, helping to mitigate risks associated with antimicrobial resistance and lowering overall production costs.
Speaking about the results of the study, Dr. Catherine Caulfield, CEO of Ovagen said:
“What we have developed isn’t incremental, it’s a complete rethink of the vaccine manufacturing process. Our germ free egg platform eliminates bacterial contamination and reduces the need for antibiotics in vaccine production, while delivering significantly higher viral yield. This is high-impact science with high-value commercial outcomes.”
The results of the Pirbright Institute study using Ovagen’s technology demonstrated that:
Ovagen Germ Free eggs resulted in 7,606 doses of Yellow Fever vaccine per egg VERSUS 6 doses & 422 doses per SPF egg, respectively, from two leading SPF egg suppliers
Up to a 5-fold lower interferon beta response, boosting viral replication.
The technology offers immediate scalability and significant margins for manufacturers, all while reducing waste and environmental impact. For public health systems and vaccine developers alike, it enables faster response times, lower costs, and increased resilience in the face of a public health crisis.
Backed by Enterprise Ireland, Ovagen represents a standout opportunity in Europe’s deep tech and biotech sectors. With growing global demand for scalable, clean, and efficient vaccine platforms, the company is now positioned for rapid international growth.
Tom Cusack, Head of Industrial & Life Sciences at Enterprise Ireland, said:
“Enterprise Ireland is proud to support Ovagen as they continue to scale their innovation and ambition. Their germ-free egg technology shows real potential to drive greater efficiency in vaccine manufacturing, and it’s encouraging to see this level of innovation emerging from the West of Ireland. Ovagen’s progress highlights the strength of Ireland’s biotech sector and the impact that Irish companies can have on global health challenges.”
Ovagen was founded with the ambitious goal of developing the world’s first commercially viable germ-free egg production system for use in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Having secured over €21 million in funding through a mix of private investment, promoter funds, VC, EU research grants, and EIC Accelerator backing, the company has developed a state-of-the-art facility, secured global patent protection, sales traction and validated significantly higher viral yields compared to industry-standard SPF eggs.
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