LONDON (Alliance News) - Benchmark Holdings PLC on Monday said it has secured an exclusive licence from Saiba Animal Health GmbH which will give the company the rights to develop and commercialise a Canine Atopic Dermatitis vaccine.
Benchmark provides technical services, products and specialist knowledge for the food and farming industries.
Benchmark will be able to develop the vaccine using Virus Like-Particle technology, which will induce antibodies against specific naturally-occurring cytokines known to be involved in the disease.
Benchmark will pay Saiba an upfront GBP200,000, a further GBP200,000 to fund the development work and will have an option to pay another GBP100,000 to take a licence if the development is successful. It will pay Saiba royalties on sales of the vaccine.
"We are pleased to be leveraging our expertise and relationships in the field of VLP technology to tackle another major challenge facing the animal health industry," said Benchmark Chief Executive Malcolm Pye.
Shares in Benchmark are currently suspended as the group is involved in talks on a potential reverse takeover.
By Sam Unsted; [email protected]; @SamUAtAlliance
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