PROVAXSYour partner for innovation in animal health

INNOVATION THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

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Discover 3 reasons why PROVAXS can become the preferred

academic partner to support your innovation-projects in animal

health.

YOUR PARTNER FOR INNOVATION

IN ANIMAL HEALTHTHE EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW HOW OF OUR SCIENTISTS

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTISTS AND EXPERIENCED TECH TRANSFER PROFESSIONALS

ACCESS TO PROOF OF CONCEPT FUNDING

PROVAXS

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THE EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW HOW of our scientists

PROVAXS offers access to a network of laboratories at Ghent

University with a focus on infectious diseases and immunity that

unite their expertise for the development of innovative vaccines,

targeted therapeutics, feed additives and diagnostics.

We offer in depth academic expertise and research capacity on

selected animal pathogens and the interaction with their host.

A network of leading professors, each with in depth expertise in

one of the following animal diseases:

• Actinobacillus

pleuropneumoniae

• Brachyspira

• Chlamydia trachomatis

• Escherichia coli F4/K88

• Escherichia coli F18

• Helicobacter

• Mycoplasma

hyopneumoniae

• Salmonella

• Chlamydia suis

• PCV2

• PPRSV

• PRV

• SIV

• Porcien rotavirus

• Ascaris suum

• Toxoplasma gondii

• Trichuris suis

BACTERIA

VIRUS

PARASITE

• Escherichia coli (APEC)

• Campylobacter

• Chlamydia psittaci

• Clostridium perfringens

• Ornithobacterium

rhinotracheale

• Salmonella

• Escherichia coli

(EHEC)

• Cooperia oncophora

• Giardia duodenalis

• Fasciola hepatica

• Ostertagia ostertagi

• Psoroptes ovis

• Escherichia coli

(EHEC)

• Toxoplasma gondii

• Giardia duodenalis

• Mycotoxins in vitro

and in vivo

(pigs and poultry)

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ACADEMIC AND REGULATORY EXPERTISE

• Know how of professors and academic scientists who perform

breakthrough research in their field of expertise

• Tailor-made study design and protocol

• In depth data evaluation and interpretation of results by

academic experts

• Ready-to-use results and reports

• Experience in vaccine development

• Contribution to WAAVP and VICH guidelines

• Member of EMA advisory board

VARIOUS CHALLENGE MODELS AND IN VITRO MODELS

• Efficacy studies according to WAAVP and VICH guidelines

(including early evaluation of efficacy, comparative studies

and studies for registration purposes)

• Use of highly characterised challenge strains in reliable and

reproducible models

• Classical infection and seeder-models

• Pathogenesis and vaccination-challenge studies

• Various in vitro models to quantify virus replication and/

or determine cell tropism e.g. polarized nasal explants,

macrophages/monocytes, cardiomyocytes

• in vitro: MIC, transwell insert model, cell invasion test,…

• in vitro/in vivo: intestinal loop model (pig), caecal loop model

(chicken)

• A panel of in vitro and in vivo tests to determine innate (NK cells,

macrophages, neutrophils), humoral (antibodies, antibody

secreting cells) and cellular (lymphocyte identification,

cytokine responses, dendritic cells) immune responses

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EXPERIENCED BSL2/3 LABORATORIES

AND ANIMAL FACILITIES

• Sample analysis in a broad diagnostic context (bacteriological,

virological, parasitological )

• Quantification of pathogenic load upon infection and/or

vaccination-challenge (e.g. organs, excretions, blood)

• Quantification of serological responses to vaccination and

infection

• Necropsy and histopathology

• Genetic sequencing and analysis

FIELD STUDIES

• Networking with farmers and farm organisations

• Efficacy studies under field conditions combined with

monitoring of effects on the productivity of the animals

• Collection of recent local field isolates

OUR FOCUS IS ON ANIMAL HEALTH

BUT SOME TECHNOLOGIES

AND KNOW HOW CAN BE USED FOR

OR TRANSLATED TO APPLICATIONS

IN HUMAN MEDICINE

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AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTISTS AND EXPERIENCED TECH TRANSFER PROFESSIONALS

WITH PROVAXS WE COMBINE

• The insight and know how of professors and academic

scientists who perform breakthrough research in their field of

expertise.

• High quality management of the collaboration with our

partners by an experienced team of tech transfer professionals

with special attention to swift contract negotiations,

confidentiality of results and intellectual property and follow up

of milestones and deliverables.

We are open for all kinds of collaboration with our partners:

• PhD research with industrial applications: evaluate how results

of early discovery projects can fit in your R&D-activities

• R&D-collaboration: partner with our academic experts and

research teams to validate your ideas or to complement your

own R&D-capacity

• Outlicensing/co-development: accelerate your product develop-

ment and build on validated research results, proof of concept

data and intellectual property with a strong academic basis

• Services: use our validated assays (in vitro, ex vivo, in situ) and

animal models in your development program or post marketing

studies

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

MANAGEMENT

& BUSINESS DEVELOPER

Sven Arnouts

ADMINISTRATIVE

ASSISTANT

Debbie Colman

INTELLECTUAL

PROPERTY

Nathalie Brutsaert

LEGAL Bernadette Tuerlinckx

VC & CORPORATE

FINANCE

Patrick Dhaese

FUNDING Margo Baele (EU),

Karen Curé (IWT),

Ingrid Merchiers (IOF)

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

BACTERIOLOGY Freddy Haesebrouck,

Frank Pasmans,

Filip Van Immerseel

PARASITOLOGY Edwin Claerebout,

Peter Geldhof

VIROLOGY Hans Nauwynck,

Kristien Van Reeth

IMMUNOLOGY Eric Cox,

Herman Favoreel,

Daisy Vanrompay

PATHOLOGY Richard Ducatelle

FORMULATION

& DELIVERY

Dieter Deforce,

Stefaan De Smedt EXP

ERTI

SE

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We have access to funding bodies like IWT (Flanders), FWO and the

Federal Public Service Health Food Chain Safety and Environment

(Belgium), Horizon2020 (EU).

Next to that Ghent University offers its researchers and their part-

ners funding for exclusive use at crucial stages of the development

track of innovation-oriented projects.

Depending on the stage of maturation four types of projects can be

applied for.

CONCEPTT

• Exploration

• 25.000 – 50.000EURO

• 1 year

STARTT

• Identification/initiation

• 50.000 - 100.000EURO

• 1-2 year

ADVANCED

• Licence/spin-off or preparation of StepStone

• Max 250.000EURO

• Max 2 year

• Cofinancing industrial partner is a strong asset

STEPSTONE

• Close to technology transfer

• Max 650.000EURO

• Max 3 year

• Cofinancing industrial partner obligatory (license)

These projects can thus be used to mature research results and novel

technologies towards transfer to industrial partners or to create new

start up companies:

• Generate proof of concept data during the priority year of a

patent application to support the claims

• Generate additional data to validate a target or a technology

and fill the gaps identified by an industrial partner interested

in licensing

• Evaluate industrial proof of concept and/or the market

potential of a new technology in preparation of or as the first

step of an academic-industrial partnership

ACCESS TO PROOF OF CONCEPT FUNDING

RESEARCH Innovative research results

IOF StarTT

IOF ConcepTT

IOF Advanced

IOF Stepstone

License negotiations

Spin-off incubation

CONCEPT

DEFINITION

TECHNICAL

PROOF OF

CONCEPT

INDUSTRIAL

PROOF OF

CONCEPT

VALORISATION

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At Ghent University we strongly believe that increased collaboration with

our industrial partners can lead to cross-fostering and will increase in-

novation.

More than 6.500 researchers covering more than 80 nationalities are in-

volved in basic research, working at the Ghent University Association,

the Ghent University Hospital, or at one of the strategic research insti-

tutes like VIB (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology) or imec (nano-elec-

tronics research center and digital research and incubation center – for-

merly iMinds).

Together they realize an R&D investment of more than 250 million euros,

of which more than 25% was financed by industry, which illustrates the

intensive collaboration with companies worldwide.

The city of Ghent houses the largest student population of Belgium with

about 65.000 higher education students including more than 3.600 PhD

students. Ghent University has 30.000 students, 10.000 of which are

specializing in medicine and life sciences. The Ghent region is also an

important economic hub within one hour drive from the capital of the

European Union.

Science parks are available in Ghent (TechLane) and Ostend (Green-

bridge) for research oriented companies that want office space in the vi-

cinity of the university association, either to facilitate collaboration and to

get access to the available talent pool, or to operate close to like-minded

companies. Within the science parks multiple incubators are available

to early stage spin-offs and start-ups. They provide a full set of office

and business services, and can arrange for access to the university’s

research infrastructure and pilot plants. The Incubation and Innovation

Center (IIC UGent) is the general incubator. Domain specific incubators

include: Greenbridge (Ostend, blue energy), VIB Bio Incubator

(Ghent, biotech), Bio-Accelerator (Ghent, biotech), and iMinds iCUBES

(Ghent, ICT).

In total some 40 biotech/life science companies are located in Ghent or

the Ghent area, covering the health, industrial/environmental and agri-

cultural/food sectors.

THE GHENT INNOVATION HUB

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Your collaboration with PROVAXS will bring you into contact with

our scientists, their expertise and the innovative ideas they are

developing towards industrial applications.

Ghent University has created a number of business develop–

ment centers that group complementary research departments

by application and area or domain of expertise. Each center is

respon sible for technology transfer within its area of compe-

tence.

We can bring you into contact with those BD-centers that offer

expertise and technologies that are complementary to your pro-

ject, thus generating new opportunities and leads for innovation.

FROM COLLABORATION TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND LEADS

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Technology transfer at Ghent University wants to facilitate the commercial

application of promising technologies developed within the Ghent Univer-

sity Association. Key technology transfer activities include industrial col-

laboration programs, IP licensing and spin-off creation. For its liaison

with industry , UGent uses a network of specialized business development

centres backed by a Central Technology Transfer Office.

ENERGY& CLEANTECH

MATERIALS ELECTRONICS & PHOTONICS

ICT MEDICAL PHARMA BIOTECH FOOD

CENTRAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICE

DuraBuildmaterials

CONTACT

Sven Arnouts, PhD RTTPBusiness Development Manager PROVAXS - University of GhentSalisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (BE)T +32 9 264 73 33M +32 495 707 334E sven.arnouts@ugent.be