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Equigerminal funded projects - PT2020

 

 

Equigerminal is committed to high standard quality R&D+I, services and products.

We’re developing proprietary and innovative technology in diagnostics and therapeutics areas for equine viruses.

Our R&D programs are supported by Portugal 2020 – the partnership agreement between Portugal and European Commission. This Partnership Agreement acknowledges and underlines the role of R&D policy in promoting the country’s competitiveness and internationalisation.

Equigerminal has been developing a number of projects approved and funded by Portugal 2020 – the European Regional Operational Programme Centro.

The Centro 2020 Regional Operational Programme (ROP) is the main funding instrument available to the region for the implementation of its development strategy in the period 2014-2020.

The Centro 2020 contributes to promoting the competitiveness of the Centro region’s economy and its sustainable development and internal cohesion.

HoTT - 38.121

(on going project)

Project designation:  HoTT - Horse Testing Tour 
Approval date: 27-12-2019
Project code: Centro-01-0247-FEDER-38.121
Start date: 30-11-2019
Main objective: Strengthening research, technological development and innovation
Conclusion date: 30-11-2022
Intervention region: PO_Centro
Total eligible amount: 368.765,90€
Beneficiary entity: Equigerminal, S.A.
Total approved amount: PT_2020_FEDER: 235.314,11€

 Project summary:

The HoTT-Horse Testing Tour project - is the culmination of successfully completed R & D activities in the generation of disruptive, patented and certified diagnostic kits under the projects QREN I & DT No18536, No38637, PT2020 PI 17196 and PT2020 ID & T 10991. With this demonstrator project we intend, for the first time, to enter the market and reach the long-awaited goal - the commercialisation of innovative diagnostic kits for the New Equine Virus (NEV). 

The global equestrian industry is a multibillion-dollar marketplace that encompasses many equestrian activities, such as the racing industry, sport and leisure horses. It is a niche market and very demanding.
Equigerminal in the scope of the projects mentioned above discovered the problem and the solutions presented in this project. Our solutions contemplate two diagnostic kits - 'first in class'- NEV-CHECK c-ELISA and molecular NEV-CHECK. These 2 diagnostic kits are complementary products for the diagnosis of the new Equine Virus (NEV), a virus similar to HIV-1. The first kit detects antibodies against NEV and the second kit detects the NEV itself.

During the years 2020/2021 HoTT will demonstrate and disseminate Equigerminal diagnostic kits in the European market (UK, Germany, France and Italy), the Middle East and Brazil, with the main objective of validating the kits in real environment and to create a network of laboratories validated for the diagnosis of NEV.


 Main objectives:
  • disseminate the existence of NEV as a causative agent of fatal disease in equines, generating the need for its diagnosis;
  • obtain validation by the target clients / laboratories of these kits and to create a network of partner laboratories;
  • develop a pilot line for the manufacture of molecular NEV-CHECK;
  • investigate the potential applicability of these new kits in other species.

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 Project HoTT - 38.121 monitoring

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NEV-CHECK & EquiNEVir - 10.991

Project designation:  NEV-CHECK & EquiNEVir
Approval date: 28-06-2016
Project code: Centro-01-0247-FEDER-10.991
Start date: 01-10-2015
Main objective: NEV the HIV-like horse virus: development and validation of diagnostics & therapies
Conclusion date: 31-03-2018
Intervention region: PO_Centro
Total eligible amount: 453.482,43
Beneficiary entity: Equigerminal, S.A.
Total approved amount: PT_2020_FEDER: 285.395,16€

Project summary:

In this project we will demonstrate in an operational and controlled environment the effectiveness of NEV-CHECK. NEV-CHECK is an exportable validated prototype of a rapid diagnostic kit for to the detection of the New Virus Equine (NEV). For that we will make use of equines infected with NEV in a controlled environment. We will also make a proof of concept that the NEV is a serious problem for the equine health, that the NEV -CHECK can diagnose this problem and EquiNEVir may be the solution to this problem.

Knowing that NEV possess high homology with HIV -1 we will also study its zoonotic and crosspecies potential by using in vitro infection assays in cell lines of different species and in vivo experimental infections of NEV in laboratory rodents.

To produce NEV-CHECK at large scale we will establish a small manufacturer and assembly line in a certified environment.

At the end of this project we will be able to place the NEV-CHECK in the market as a high value disruptive product and inform our clients what are the major clinical signs and how to deal with a positive horse in the NEV-CHECK.

If our laboratory observations will be confirmed by this project we will launch the NEV-CHECK at the end of 2017 and create a new NEV market segment that will be lead by Equigerminal. To maintain our lead position we intend to continue the research on antigen and epitope variation of NEV infected animals, and initiate EquiNEVir clinical studies as an antiviral treatment of positive animals in the NEV-CHECK.


 Main objectives:

  • o evaluate potential cross–species transmission of the New Equine Virus (NEV);
  • To develop an antiviral therapy for equine viruses.
  • To validate a test kit – NEV-CHECK- to detect NEV.
  • To develop a NEV-CHECK manufacturing pilot line.

 Main results:

  • Knowledge about NEV tropism in other species.
  • Generate data to support a PCT on antiviral therapies for Equine viruses.
  • A validated product – NEV-CHECK c-ELISA able to detect NEV.
  • Certified pilot line to manufacture NEV-CHECK c-ELISA.

EquiNEVir - 17.196

Project designation: EquinNEVir - a cure for horse AIDS.
Approval date: 
Project code: Centro-01-0247-FEDER-17.196
Start date: 01-01-2016
Main objective: Submission of international patent applications on NEV diagnostics and therapies.
Conclusion date: 30-06-2018
Intervention region: PO_Centro
Total eligible amount: 95.000,00
Beneficiary entity: Equigerminal, S.A.
Total approved amount: PT_2020_FEDER: 47.500,00€

 Project summary:

In this project we aim to strengthen the intelectual property in regard to the New Equine Virus and to submit two novel PCT applications. In one we envisage to protect antiviral compositions for NEV and EIAV, and in other we aim to submit a divisional patent.

The subject matter to be protected it was generated in the projects QREN IDT no18536 and 38627 and aims to enlarge the scope of the patents submitted in these projects.


 Main objective:

  • To submit international patent applications on NEV diagnostics and therapies.

 Main results:

  •  In this project we concluded and surpassed the objectives proposed in the application, with two families of patents through the international PCT route, which resulted in 10 international patent processes in the national phases.


Equigerminal funded projects - QREN

Co-financed by the QREN, under “Mais Centro” – Regional Operational  Programme of the Centre

 

QREN (Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional 2007-2013) – QREN was a Portuguese incentive program operating under the European Community Policy aiming at an increased competitiveness of Portuguese economy by valuing knowledge, science and technology, social inclusion and sustained development.

QREN - 38.637

Project designation: Generation and consolidation of a new diagnostic test
Project code: CENTRO-07-0202-FEDER-038637 – I&DT
Approval date: 10-04-2014
Total eligible amount: 404.525,61€
Total approved amount: 230.853,62€

QREN - 31.992

Project designation: EQG2.0 Platform
Project code: CENTRO-07-0203-FEDER-031992 – Inovation
Approval date: 26-07-2013
Total eligible amount: 254.228,60€
Total approved amount: 119.645,93€

 

QREN - 18.536 

Project designation: Diagnostic test for a new variant of equine infectious anemia virus
Project code: CENTRO-07-0202-FEDER-018536 – I&DT 
Approval date: 29-07-2011
Total eligible amount: 369.395,39€
Total approved amount: 164.650,59€