NEAH Process

NEAH has developed an innovative, reagent acquisition, curation production and distribution paradigm for common and rare monoclonal antibodies specific for veterinary species immune system proteins. We proactively seek to acquire and validate existing mAbs and then manufacture these reagents according to strict quality specifications for distribution in a cost effective and secure manner. Alternatively, we use public domain antibody genetic sequences identified by the research community to build and produce recombinant antibodies (rAbs).

Click here to see a comprehensive list of neglected animal diseases and vaccine research areas

NEAH has identified and defined a process to address these challenges:

1. Define the key areas of need for new , innovative vaccine research & development.

There are major current, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases facing food animals, specifically goats and sheep for which innovative, disease prevention vaccines offer a realistic solution. These include: highly contagious viral diseases like Foot-and-mouth disease, sheep and goat pox, peste des pestis ruminants and Rift Valley Fever, acute, chronic and persistent bacterial diseases like, Q fever, contagious bovine and caprine pleural pneumonia, and vector-borne parasitic infections like East Coast fever, trypanosomiasis, as well as worm infections like lung fluke and ectoparasites such as sheep and poultry mites.

2. Communicate with academic vaccine researchers working in these important disease areas to identify existing, difficult to acquire mAb reagents that would greatly benefit their research.

NEAH founding members have used their extensive scientific experience, practical knowledge and business network to identify numerous current and legacy  organizations across the globe that have mAb collections to immune cell biomarkers for food animals. We will continue outreach and networking efforts to engage with institutions and scientists around the world.

3. Collect high research value mAb cell lines through purchase and donation, and mining of public domain mAb sequence databases such as the UK Immunological Toolbox managed by The Pirbright Institute to produce recombinant monoclonal antibodies (rAbs).

We have already received numerous monoclonal antibodies kindly donated by the international research community. Knowing that we are a not-for-profit and, as such, have a different “bottom-line” than for-profit entities, the research community can be confident the mAbs cell lines and rAbs produced will be maintained and available regardless of their commercial viability. This process will continue to grow and expand as awareness expands through our customer outreach activities.

4. Validate and refine these collected samples to assure highest quality and immune cell specificity

NEAH assures that each donated mAb cell line or newly created rAb is of highest quality using an important process of reagent ‘validation’. The validation process ensures that each mAb or rAb is verified to recognize only one, specific target, i.e., immune cell marker, and only validated mAbs and rAbs are curated and distributed. A review of current for-profit manufacturers of mAbs developed specifically for cattle and swine immune cell markers indicates that the vast majority of these reagents are sold as non-purified mAbs produced in tissue culture. NEAH aims to produce and distribute highly purified mAbs and rAbs, many of which will be directly conjugated for improved assay sensitivity and faster immunoassay speeds. The NEAH process ensures that only validated mAbs and rAbs are curated and distributed.

5. Document, archive and store these samples

We have recently signed a research, development and commercialization agreement with our sister company, Pentland Immunologics, a U.K.-based not-for-profit within The Moredun Group.

Through this strategic agreement, NEAH now has access to a diverse collection of approximately 200 mAbs for cattle and sheep immune cell markers as well as a diverse set of ruminant recombinant cytokines. Moving forward, NEAH and Pentlands Immunologics will both maintain complete copies of the curated collection, becoming the central and redundant repository and clearing house for the global veterinary vaccine research community.

6. Produce quantities of these validated mAbs and rAbs for distribution to researchers focused in the identified neglected disease areas, especially in small ruminants.

An important element in this process is keeping an affordable retail cost for the vaccine researchers. The NEAH process subsidizes the cost of each validated mAb or rAb through grants, philanthropic donations and in-kind contributions. Also, the typical significant shipping costs currently associated with purchase of immune reagents will be minimized. This will be possible by having a unique, flexible product distribution system that benefits from having manufactured supply sources in both the US and the UK. This will allow much faster and more affordable delivery of product to vaccine researchers compared to the current situation. NEAH will primarily ship to customers in the Western Hemisphere and Pentland Immunologics will primarily ship to customers in the Eastern Hemisphere.