University spinout awarded £500,000 to advance BRSV vaccine programme

The Vaccine Group and the Animal and Plant Health Agency will work together on a feasibility study into effective vaccine dosing

A mother cow with new born calf on a meadow. This image is being used to illustrate work by The Vaccine Group, a spinout company from the University of Plymouth, to advance development of a vaccine to tackle bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).

University spinout awarded £500,000 to advance BRSV vaccine programme

The Vaccine Group and the Animal and Plant Health Agency will work together on a feasibility study into effective vaccine dosing

Mr Alan Williams

Media and Communications Manager

Corporate Communications (Marketing and Communications)

11 November 2026

A University of Plymouth spinout company is leading a £500,000 project to advance development of a vaccine to tackle bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).

With funding from Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, The Vaccine Group (TVG) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will work together on a feasibility study focused on the vaccine dosing provided to young calves.

The work will determine the minimum dose required to provide effective protection against BRSV, a major viral contributor to bovine respiratory disease that is affecting cattle health, welfare and productivity worldwide.

It will also assess whether this protection can be achieved following a single vaccination, and builds directly on data from a recently completed Innovate UK Smart-funded project.

TVG was created to commercialise the work of Professor Michael Jarvis, Professor in Virology & Immunology at the University and Technical Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of TVG, and operates from the Derriford Research Facility on Plymouth Science Park.

This award will enable us to answer critical questions about dose and vaccination regimen, helping to move the BRSV vaccine further along its development pathway.

The vaccine was designed specifically to address important limitations in existing approaches to BRSV vaccination. It is immensely rewarding to see ideas originally grounded in fundamental science beginning to demonstrate their potential through a South West-based University spinout, supported by locally trained scientists. That progress also reflects the strength of our collaborators and the foresight of the organisations that have funded the work.

Professor Michael Jarvis
Professor of Virology and Immunology

It’s great to see this investment in The Vaccine Group’s BRSV programme. I know that farmers care deeply about the welfare of their herds and progress in this area is essential in reducing infection rates and associated secondary conditions.

Fred Thomas MP
MP for Plymouth Moor View, whose constituency includes Plymouth Science Park

The earlier project evaluated TVG’s bovine herpesvirus-4 (BoHV-4) vectored vaccine candidates in young calves with maternally derived antibodies. It showed that vaccination prevented clinical disease, eliminated detectable infectious-virus shedding and resulted in minimal lung pathology following BRSV challenge.

Defining a lower effective dose and simpler vaccination schedule will be critical for further development towards a commercial product. For cattle producers in England, this could reduce vaccine and handling costs while making protection during the vulnerable early-life period easier to deliver.

As part of the project, Synergy Farm Health will conduct a questionnaire-based study in English cattle herds to quantify the incidence of bovine respiratory disease, its treatment and associated antibiotic use. The findings will provide a benchmark for assessing potential vaccine impact, inform antimicrobial-resistance policy and guide the design of future field trials that reflect the practical needs of cattle producers in England.

Of the £499,968 project funding, £271,468 has been awarded to TVG and £228,500 to APHA. Specialist subcontracted input will also be provided by Professor Geraldine Taylor at The Pirbright Institute.

Our earlier study demonstrated strong protection against BRSV in young calves. Remarkably, this was achieved in the presence of maternally derived antibodies, which can interfere with responses to vaccination during early life. This project represents the next important step: defining a practical vaccination regimen and generating the evidence needed to progress the programme towards commercial development.

Dr Jeremy Salt
Chief Executive Officer at TVG

Mr Alan Williams

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