Irish biotech Ovagen has announced a major advance in vaccine manufacturing, with new data showing its germ-free embryonated eggs can produce over 7,600 doses of yellow fever vaccine per egg—18 times more than current industry standards.
The study, conducted at the Pirbright Institute in the UK, compared Ovagen’s eggs with those from two leading suppliers of specified pathogen-free (SPF) eggs. Results showed yields of just 6 and 422 doses per SPF egg, respectively.
Ovagen’s platform could dramatically reduce reliance on SPF eggs, antibiotics and downstream processing. To meet the current global shortfall of 60 million doses, conventional methods would require over 140,000 eggs. Ovagen’s approach would need fewer than 8,000.
The technology also lowers the volume of antibiotics used, helping to reduce risks linked to antimicrobial resistance and cutting production costs.
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 study also found Ovagen’s eggs triggered up to a fivefold lower interferon beta response, enhancing viral replication.
Backed by Enterprise Ireland, Ovagen has secured over €21 million in funding and built a state-of-the-art facility. The company holds global patents and has completed pilot trials with major vaccine manufacturers.
Tom Cusack of Enterprise Ireland said: “Ovagen’s progress highlights the strength of Ireland’s biotech sector and the impact that Irish companies can have on global health challenges.”
