USA – NutriQuest, a prominent nutrition and business consulting provider for the swine, poultry, and dairy industries, has partnered with Modulant Biosciences, an Indiana biotechnology company, to advance swine disease research.
Together, they are working to develop a groundbreaking treatment for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a virus that has long plagued the global pork industry.
Modulant Biosciences has made a significant discovery—a small molecule capable of combating the PRRS virus.
This molecule represents a major step forward in the fight against PRRS, which, according to Iowa State University, costs the U.S. pork industry an estimated US$1.2 billion annually.
Despite numerous industry attempts to control PRRS since its emergence in the mid-1980s, the virus has remained a persistent threat to swine producers.
The partnership between NutriQuest and Modulant aims to accelerate the development of this promising drug candidate, providing a much-needed tool for PRRS control.
Modulant Biosciences CEO Dr. Tom Campi expressed optimism about the collaboration, noting that the partnership will enable researchers to identify the best molecule for treating PRRS.
“This research partnership with NutriQuest gives the swine industry a long-awaited tool for controlling the disease,” Dr Campi said.
Beyond PRRS, the partnership will also focus on other major swine diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and swine influenza virus (SIV).
Plans also include exploring potential applications in poultry and ruminants and expanding the collaboration scope to address broader challenges in animal health.
Steve Weiss, CEO of NutriQuest, highlighted the partnership’s strategic importance, saying, “This opportunity not only addresses critical challenges facing producers but also expands NutriQuest’s capabilities in regulated drug technology development, paving the way for future high-impact innovations in this space.”
Modulant Biosciences takes a unique approach to treating diseases, focusing on host cell processes required for viral replication or involvement in chronic conditions.
This innovative strategy aims to provide the animal health industry with cost-effective therapies for diseases that existing technologies have struggled to control.
Dr. Kim Friesen, president of NutriQuest, echoed the excitement surrounding the collaboration.
“Our innovation team is eager to advance the work started by Modulant Biosciences,” she said. “Their innovative approach to antiviral drug development, combined with our research and development expertise, presents an unprecedented opportunity to impact swine health significantly.”
The collaboration between NutriQuest and Modulant Biosciences will begin immediately, with initial efforts focused on developing a treatment for PRRS.
This partnership represents a critical step forward in combating a long-standing challenge in the pork industry and holds the potential to revolutionise disease control in swine production.
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