New technology addresses the most common global cause of bacterial food-borne illness 
Anivax, a Tucson based veterinary biologics research and development company, is seeking USDA approval to manufacture and sell its vaccine to reduce the colonization of Campylobacter in chickens. The bacterium causes food poisoning symptoms in humans. The company’s goal is to lessen the potential for contamination in chicken sold in stores and restaurants, thus reducing the estimated $1.3B in health care costs associated with Campylobacter. At this time, there are no effective vaccines approved for this purpose.
John Buttery
, Anivax CEO and a University of Arizona alumnus, said, “Gaining approval for our vaccine in the US will be a tremendous achievement. Campylobacter is the 2nd most common food-borne illness and continues to be a serious threat to humans. Anivax needs to scale quickly to provide a solution for this global problem.” The company plans to file for regulatory approval in several other countries by the end of the year.
Anivax’s vaccine for poultry was developed through collaborative research at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Washington University, supported by the USDA, NIH, international research collaborations and institutions.