South Dakota animal health company works to tackle major disease challenges, including the H5N1 virus – InForum

BROOKINGS, S.D. — Medgene, an animal health company based in Brookings, is using leading technology to manufacture and distribute vaccines across the globe that address critical disease challenges, including having developed a vaccine for the avian influenza virus.

Kennedy Tesch / Agweek

“We are ready to address emerging diseases. We’re ready to address new variants of existing diseases, and we’re ready to address very, very targeted approaches to animal health in the United States, particularly in cattle and swine,” said Alan Young, the chief technology officer for Medgene.

The company developed and utilizes U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved prescription platform technology to develop vaccines in the cattle, swine, rabbit and deer industries, both in the United States and internationally. Currently, the company is the only USDA licensed platform vaccine manufacturer in the cattle industry.

Prescription platform technology allows for a faster and more efficient way of developing vaccines without having to house the disease agent in the lab. While traditional processes of developing vaccines can take years,

prescription platform technology

works by receiving a genetic sequence from a diagnostics lab and then recreating it in the Medgene lab to develop a vaccine.

The whole process is reduced down to around 12 weeks to produce an effective vaccine, allowing veterinarians to safely respond to diseases more quickly. Young is a Harvard-trained scientist who, along with the Basel Institute, helped develop the vaccine technology.

Contributed / Medgene

“Using the exact same process, the exact same formulation, the exact same technology, we can insert different targets to target different vaccine agents,” Young said. “So for influenza, what that means is we can have an influenza that addresses this year’s circulating strain in the swine industry, or this year’s influenza D in cattle, and if a new one arises next year, we can swap that out, put it in and immediately have that available for distribution and for addressing those health concerns.”

When H5N1 — an avian influenza variant — began to infect mammals a few years ago, the company acquired the information needed to begin working on a vaccine for the disease using the genetic sequence. Now, the company awaits USDA approval for the vaccine to be ready to use.

Contributed / Medgene

“If the need arises, and if the USDA agrees that it is time to start vaccinating cattle, that is ready to go out the door tomorrow to start addressing those needs in the animal industry,” Young said. “We’re quite confident in that particular approach, if the H5N1 changes, which is what flu does, we can very rapidly update that and have that available to address the new strains that are circulating.”

The company is also waiting on USDA approval for vaccines they have developed to target PCV-4 — a porcine circovirus variant — in swine and aMPV — avian metapneumovirus — in turkey production.

Kennedy is a reporter for Agweek based out of South Dakota. She grew up on an organic crop farm where her family also raises cattle in eastern South Dakota. She graduated from South Dakota State University in 2023 with a major in agricultural communication and minor in agricultural business. She enjoys connecting with producers and agribusinesses across the region while reporting on all things agriculture.