Aegis Vaccine Platform: A New Paradigm in Cross Protective Vaccines
The Aegis Vaccine Platform, discovered and developed by a team of leading veterinary medicine and immunologists, offers a new paradigm in cross protective vaccines.
PGT owns the exclusive global rights to develop effective vaccines against viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases in animals using microbial vectors, including both bacteria and yeasts. Aegis utilizes low-cost recombinant technology for the insertion of bacterial, viral or protozoan genes into microbial vectors targeting specific antigens that are universal across a range of pathogen strains, serovars and even species of the targeted pathogen.
The vaccines are manufactured by a low-cost fermentation process and are shelf-stable, making them accessible to livestock producers.
All inactivated Aegis vaccines are delivered using the Hercules Universal Adjuvant System.
How are Aegis vaccines different from traditional vaccines?
Existing vaccines only offer protection against strains present in the vaccine, meaning there is little or no cross protection and it cannot protect against genetic shifts, mutations and appearance of different strains, rendering many vaccines ineffective.
Aegis vaccines offer broad spectrum cross protection, reducing or eliminating the need for multiple vaccines and addresses this problem of mutation.
Traditionally, inactivated vaccines are only available as injectables, meaning it is labour intensive and cost restrictive for livestock producers to administer.
Aegis vaccines can deliver live or inactivated vaccines orally via water or spray. This flexibility in administration and dosage makes Aegis vaccines ideal for large livestock populations such as poultry.
Aegis Vaccines in development
The company’s lead vaccine targeting Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry is expected to launch in 2019 in the United States.
An additional vaccine targeting Salmonella and E. coli in swine is completing efficacy trials and is expected to be out-licensed to a [global] partner in 2018.
We have other vaccines in development which are at the out-licensing stage as well as a pipeline of vaccine candidates currently in proof-of-concept testing. For updates on our pipeline, click here.
Dr Luc Berghman
Senior Scientific Advisor
Dr. Berghman is a Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University with a PhD in Zoology from Leuven University, Belgium.
He is a long-term colleague of Dr. Hargis and actively involved in PGT’s Aegis vaccine research programs.
Dr Nicole Calhoun
Scientific Advisor
Nicole Calhoun, PhD, is a Scientific Advisor at Pacific GeneTech Limited. Dr Calhoun is a molecular geneticist. She completed her post-Doctorate training in the Nobel Prize-winning Molecular Genetics Department of Drs. Mike Brown and Joe Goldstein at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Dr Calhoun has extensive experience in immunology, genetics, bacteriology, and nanotechnology. She currently serves as a researcher for Dr Billy Hargis at the University of Arkansas.
Dr Calhoun holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas.
Betty Allen Tucker, JD
Member, Board of Directors
Betty Allen Tucker, JD, is the Director of Development at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Psychiatric Research Institute and President and Director of Rivers Edge Ventures, where she holds 50% ownership of the firm.Previously, she served as the Director of Development for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy. She is an original and current stockholder of Pacific GeneTech and has advised company activities and board meetings since its founding.
From 1982 through 2004 she was President and CEO of Cablevision Management Inc., a cable television company she established with her husband that founded, built, and invested in cable television and fibre optic systems in the United States, Great Britain and Indonesia. The British and Indonesian systems each merged with and became a part of public companies.
In 1996, she was named one of Arkansas’ top 100 business women. After serving as First Lady of Arkansas from 1992-1996, she moved with her husband to Hong Kong for several years, to focus on their cable television investment in Indonesia. During that time, she helped to establish the Hong Kong branch of Heifer International and travelled extensively throughout Asia. Betty has held positions on the governing boards of the Arkansas Arts Center, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Second Presbyterian Church, and the Arkansas chapter of the International Women’s Forum.
Mrs Tucker holds a Bachelors and Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Frank Kuo, MBA
Member, Board of Directors
Frank Kuo, MBA, is responsible for investment activities and investment banking business forYuanta Financial Holding Group. He holds various positions within the Group, including Chief Corporate Banking Officer of Yuanta Financial Holding Co., Ltd, Executive Vice President of Yuanta Securities Co., Ltd, Board Director of Yuanta Asia Investment Limited, Director of Yuanta Commercial Bank Co., Ltd, Director of Yuanta Securities (Hong Kong) Limited and Consultant of Yuanta Venture Capital Co., Ltd.
Previously, Mr Kuoserved as President of Yuanta Venture Capital and Managing Director of Grand Asset Management, Manager of Yuanta Securities, and a Special Assistant to the group’s president and an Assistant Manager of President Securities.
Mr Kuoholds a MBA from the University of Texas in Arlington and a Bachelors in International Business Management from Soochow University, Taiwan.
James Brown, CPA, JD
Member, Board of Directors
James Brown, CPA, JD, is Managing Director of AVG Ventures, an investment firm specialising in early to mid-stage technology companies. Prior to joining AVG Ventures, Mr Brown was an independent investor and Member of the Board for numerous companies. Before that, he served in several executive operating roles in public and private technology companies, with responsibilities ranging from finance and legal to operations and strategy.
Previously, Mr Brown was Executive Vice President and General Manager of OpenTV, Inc., a technology and media company which he helped to take public.He was also responsible for founding and managing the company’s applications business unit until its sale to Liberty Media.
Mr Brown started his career practicing law, specialising in corporate finance and technology transactions. He served as a Partner at McDermott, Will & Emery in Menlo Park and Pillsbury Madison & Sutro in San Francisco.
Mr Brown holds a Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Weber State University and a Juris Doctorate from Brigham Young University Law School where he was Executive Editor of the Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and an active member of the California Bar Association.
Stephen L. Parr, MBA
Member, Board of Directors
Stephen Parr, MBA, is President and Managing Member of Parr Financial Group, LLC, an asset management firm broadly focused on China, Asia, and the international markets. Mr Parr has been an active investor in China for over thirty years.
Prior to founding Parr Financial Group, Mr Parr was one of the Managing Directors for Pope Asset Management in the United States. In this role, he was responsible for managing a portfolio ofUS$400million and advised Pope on investment strategy, serving as the macroeconomic and political analyst.
Before joining Pope, Mr Parr successfully consulted on financial and strategic advice to a large number of private and public companies.
Mr Parr also served as a Vice President and International Specialist at Goldman Sachs, where he started his career.
Mr Parr holds a Bachelors Degree from Vanderbilt University and a MBA in Finance from Emory University.
Dr. Steve Chu
Dr. Steve Chu is a Senior Industry Advisor of Pacific GeneTech Limited
Steve has a long and distinguished background. He holds a B.S. in Veterinary Medicine, a DVM, an M.S. in Veterinary Virology and a PhD in Microbiology. He was formerly Global Chief Biologics Officer – Distinguished Research Fellow for Elanco Animal Health, and he’s also held positions at Pfizer, Fort Dodge Animal Health, and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. He’s a member of the American Society for Virology and he has been honored with the CDC Director’s Innovation Award in the category of People Prepared for Emerging Health Threats and Healthy People in a Healthy World for the “Development of anEquine West Nile DNA Vaccine.” He is proud that he not only developed the first West Nile vaccine, but also the first DNAvaccine for any species. He also created the first inactivated BRSV vaccine and single-dose modified live BRSV cattle vaccine.He’s also co-developed a reverse genetic avian influenza vaccine against highly pathogenic H5N1, and secured the first federally licensed product in the U.S. and European Union.
Steve graduated with a PhD in Microbiology from UC Davis, a Master’s Degree in Veterinary Virology and DVM from National Taiwan University.
Dr. Lisa R. Bielke
Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, OARDC , Ohio State University
After completing her Ph.D. studying poultry microbiology, health, and antibiotic alternatives at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Bielke began a post-doctoral research program at a biotechnology company developing technologies for detection of foodborne pathogens and intervention strategies to reduce microbial load on fresh foods. While completing her post-doctoral work, Lisa was co-investigator on small business innovation research grants from NIH, NSF, and DoD totaling more than $2 million, and primary investigator on grants totaling nearly $400,000. In 2011 Dr. Bielke moved to the University of Arkansas where she began a research program as a Research Assistant Professor at the Poultry Health Laboratory in the Department of Poultry Science. This year Lisa began a position at Ohio State University as Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, OARDC.
The primary focus of her current research is poultry health with emphasis on enteric diseases and ante mortem control of food pathogens, which includes projects developing recombinant vaccine technologies, probiotics selection, and development of tools and assays for assessment of gastrointestinal inflammation with a goal of providing means of producing poultry in a more sustainable manner that promotes health and well-being while increasing profitability. Research collaborations include an international collaboration with the Armed Forces Research Institute for Medical Sciences in Bangkok, Thailand in an effort to transfer recombinant vaccine technologies to human health aspects. Additionally, she has other collaborations within the University of Arkansas and other institutions including Texas A&M University and Pacific Vet Group. Through these collaborations and research within her laboratory, Lisa has been Co-PI or PI on both industry and academic grants totaling more than $1.2 million.
As a result of her research collaborations, advanced recombinant vaccine and adjuvant technologies for control of multiple poultry diseases are currently under license for commercialization. These vaccines promote mucosal immunity for hard-to-treat diseases such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, coccidia, avian influenza, and necrotic enteritis in which mucosal immunity is of primary importance to prevent infection. In combination with adjuvant technologies, these vaccines can be administered orally, making them more accessible and affordable to broiler and turkey production. Additionally, Dr. Bielke has played a major role in the development of enteric inflammation models in order to better understand the effects of antibiotic growth promoters, probiotics, and other feed additives on the health and performance of poultry. This emerging area of research is an essential component of flock growth and performance as antibiotic growth promoters are phased out of production and producers seek methods of improving feed efficiencies while improving animal well-being. While helping to manage these two major research projects, Lisa has also remained involved in projects, ones that began during her graduate studies, that focus on selection of functional probiotics to improve health and performance of poultry flocks. These projects have resulted in multiple successful commercial products that are sold to poultry producers world-wide.
Lisa served as president of the Southern Conference on Avian Diseases, is presently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Poultry Science Association Foundation, and was awarded the Poultry Science Association Early Achievement Award and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute Early Investigator Award. During her brief career as a scientist, she has participated in publication of three book chapters, 27 journal articles, and 10 published proceedings, as well as over 30 abstracts that have been presented at scientific conferences and multiple invited presentations.
Dr. Billy Hargis
Director Poultry Health Laboratory and Sustainable Poultry Health Chair, University of Arkansas
Dr. Hargis received his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota (B.S. 1980), his Master of Science Training at the University of Georgia (Poultry Science, 1983) and his D.V.M and Ph.D. training at the University of Minnesota (Ph.D. 1987). From 1987 – 2000, Dr. Hargis was a faculty member in the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology and Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, where he was promoted through the ranks of Assistant Professor to Professor. In 2006, Dr. Hargis was named the Sustainable Poultry Health Chair, an endowed position funded by the Tyson Family with a match from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.
Dr. Hargis joined the Center of Excellence in Poultry Science on September 1, 2000, as Professor and Director of the Poultry Health Research Laboratory. Dr. Hargis, a diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians, teaches in the undergraduate and graduate poultry science program. He has an active research program in the area of poultry health and ante mortem food safety intervention with interests in poultry immunology and endocrinology.
Dr. Hargis has advised or co-advised more than 50 M.S. and Ph.D. students and has published numerous manuscripts and book chapters relating to food safety, poultry health and poultry physiology. His laboratory has been recognized by several awards including the Carrington Laboratories Research Award (1991), the Poultry Science Association Research Award (1993), USDA Certificate of Merit for Scientific Leadership (1994), the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Faculty Research Award (1994), the National Broiler Council Research Award (1998), the Texas A&M University Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for Research (2000), and the Poultry Science Association Award for Achievement in Poultry Science (2001). Dr. Hargis leads the University’s vaccine research team.
Dr Yahui Huang
Director, Research & Development (Taiwan)
Yahui Huang, PhD, DVM, is the Director of Research and Development at Pacific GeneTech Limited, Taiwan. Dr Huang is responsible for the company’s R&D activities in Taiwan, including collaboration with universities and research institutes.
Prior to her role, she was a project manager at SBC Virbac Biotech, where she was responsible for projects across the animal vaccine development process, including sponsored and co-development R&D projects with local and international collaborators, in- and out-licensing of vaccine technologies, coordinating technology transfer,and conducting field trials. She also has extensive experience with the regulatory pathways for animal health product registration.
Dr Huang has extensive experience as a researcher in microbiology labs before moving into the biotechnology industry. Previously, she served as a field application scientist for biomedical research instruments, first with GeneTech/Illumina and then with Merck-Millipore.
Dr Huang holds a PhD from the University of Bath and completed her post-doctoral research in the United Kingdom and Taiwan where she studied signal transduction and gene regulation of bacteria and yeast. She also holds Bachelors and Masters Degreesin Veterinary Medicine from National Taiwan University and is a qualified veterinarian.
Dr. Anna Obolensky
Director, Translational Research
Anna Obolensky, PhD, is the Director of Translational Research at Pacific Genetech Limited. Dr Obolensky is a microbiologist and immunologist with experience in pharmaceuticals, research institutions and private equity. She has extensive experience in intellectual property management, commercialisation, and research.
She started her career at Porton International, which commercialised drugs and vaccines originating from the British government’s Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research at Porton Down. Dr Obolensky established the company’s Hong Kong office to oversee clinical development and trials in Asia for novel products.
Following her work at Porton, Dr Obolensky completed a PhD in immunology. She then worked as an independent consultant advising companies and institutions on ways to evaluate, protect, and maximise their IP for commercialisation.
Later, Dr Obolensky served as Head of External Sciences for H2O Venture Partners, a private equity firm focused on early stage technologies. Since 2011, Dr Obolensky has worked as a consultant for the British Heart Foundation responsible for auditing BHF-funded scientists across 14 British universities.
Dr. Obolensky holds a PhD from Keble College, University of Oxford. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a Member of British Society of Immunology.
Dr. Ariane Davison
Director, Commercial Projects
Dr. Ariane Davison is a viral immunobiologist with executive-level operational experience in the commercial healthcare/biotechnology industries in Asia, and global healthcare equity markets. She served as Director of Research and Product Development at a Goldman-Sachs financed start-up in Hong Kong developing anti- microbial medical devices for international markets, and personally secured a US FDA “First In Class” medical device approval. She also collaborated with the US DOD/BARDA on an anti-microbial respirator to protect against bioterrorism. She is experienced in all value chain processes to market including international regulation for drugs and devices, marketing, investor relations, and venture fundraising.
Ariane has assumed multiple corporate advisory roles, for “big pharma”, biotech companies, asset managers and hedge-funds in Hong Kong. In 2013 she was selected for the Kauffman Venture Capital Fellowship in Silicon Valley, with selection signalling membership amongst the world’s most promising venture investors. She has been an invited speaker at international conferences, and her original work published in medical journals and internationally published textbooks. Ariane received her Ph.D. in Immunobiology & Vaccine Strategy from the University of Sydney School of Medicine, and her Honours Degree in Molecular and Microbial Genetics.
Dr Thomas D. Overbay
Director, US Operations
Thomas D. Overbay, DVM, is the Director of US Operations of Pacific GeneTech. Dr Overbay brings over 25 years of experience in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry. Previously, he has served in senior business development roles for a major animal health company, contract services provider, and start-up animal health companies in the US and internationally.He is one of the founders of Expedite Animal Health which is a company formed to assist with the commercialisation of products in the veterinary industry.
In addition to business development, Dr Overbay’s background of veterinary practice, technical services, and sales management provides him with a unique perspective of the scientific, financial, and legal aspects of innovative technologies. Dr Overbay has successfully brought to market a number of products arising from universities, government agencies, human hospitals, human and veterinary health start-up companies, and multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies.
Dr Overbay holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.
Cindy Tsang, MBA
Director, Business Development
Cindy Tsang, MBA, is the Director of Business Development at Pacific GeneTech Limited. She has over 12 years of broad international experience in corporate strategy and advisory, compliance consulting, and scientific R&D for major investment banks, consulting firms, multi-national pharmaceutical corporations, and early stage companies.Cindy joined PGT in 2013 from an advisory firm she founded where she assisted early stage healthcare companies in medical devices, diagnostics and healthcare IT with business planning, fundraising, andgrowth strategies development.Cindy held management positions as an Assistant Director in the quality and risk management group at Ernst & Young and previously an Associate at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong.She also had prior experience as an investment banking analyst at a boutique Mergers and Acquisitions advisory firm in Chicago where she led commercial due diligence on potential investments for a life sciences venture fund.
Cindy began her career as a research scientist at Abbott Laboratories’ Pharmaceutical R&D division in Abbott Park, Illinois. She spearheaded a membrane protein purification project to support the use of structural biology in drug discovery efforts. Her work has been published in scientific journals.
Cindy holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Cambridge and a BS in Biochemistry from Seattle University.
Cindy Tsang, MBA, is the Director of Business Development at Pacific GeneTech Limited. She has over 12 years of broad international experience in corporate strategy and advisory, compliance consulting, and scientific R&D for multinational pharmaceutical corporations, major investment banks, consulting firms, and early stage companies. Cindy joined PGT in 2013 from an advisory firm she founded where she assisted early stage healthcare companies in medical devices, diagnostics and healthcare IT with business planning, fundraising, and growth strategies development. Cindy held management positions as an Assistant Director in the quality and risk management group at Ernst & Young and previously an Associate at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong. She also had prior experience as an investment banking analyst at a boutique Mergers and Acquisitions advisory firm in Chicago where she led commercial due diligence on potential investments for a life sciences venture fund.
Cindy began her career as a research scientist at Abbott Laboratories’ Pharmaceutical R&D division in Abbott Park, Illinois. She spearheaded a membrane protein purification project to support the use of structural biology in drug discovery efforts. Her work has been published in scientific journals.
Cindy holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Cambridge and a BS in Biochemistry from Seattle University.
Tim Collard
Chief Executive Officer
Tim Collard is the Chief Executive Officer of Pacific GeneTech and is responsible for the overall management and operations of the company. Tim has more than 40 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries globally. He started his career with Connaught Laboratoriessupplying human vaccines to the Hong Kong government and establishing the business to supply poultry vaccines for Hong Kong farmers. He then joined Califas, a China-based consultancy, where he negotiated the first Sino-US joint manufacturing contract in the Chinese healthcare industry.
Next, Tim joined Solvay as Far East Director for Solvay’s Biochem Products division, a joint venture with the Pasteur Institute which developed human health products and agricultural insecticides. In 1987 he became General Manager, Far East, of British biopharmaceuticals company Porton International where he established marketing, distribution, and local R&D in Asia.
In 1993,Tim served as Vice President of Lotus Healthcare Corporation, a manufacturer of oral controlled-release morphine and other medicinal narcotics in China. He was responsible for business development, sourcing of Chinese pharmaceutical raw materials, and all in-licensing and technology transfer. In 1997, he established Phoenix Lifesciences and later, associate company Phoenix Innovation to provide transactional consultancy services to the pharmaceutical, life science, and high technology sectors in Greater China and Southeast Asia. In this consulting capacity, Tim negotiated a “first mover” supply agreement for bulk antibiotics between a Chinese producer and British veterinary pharmaceutical companies. Tim continued to workon a variety of projects with local and multinational companies including AstraZeneca, Authentix, Aventis, bioMérieux, Proctor & Gamble, SciClone, and Xenova.
Tim holds a BS in biology from Bristol University, United Kingdom.
Louis Bowen, MBA
Executive Chairman and Director, Finance
Louis Bowen, MBA, is the Executive Chairman and Director of Finance of Pacific GeneTech Limited which he co-founded in 2009. He also currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Asia Capital Management Limited, a private investment banking company based in Hong Kong that he founded in 1994. Previously, he served as Managing Director of Arral and Partners Limited, one of the first private investment companies in Asia. Louis started his career with Citigroup in New York, before relocating to Hong Kong to establish the Citigroup corporate finance activities in Asia. Louis has overseen many investments and acquisitions in Asia across a range of industries including pharmaceuticals, primary care services, and medical diagnostics.
Louis has served on the boards of a number of companies during his professional career and currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School, The Dean’s Executive Advisory Board of the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas, the Board of Governors of the Wharton Alumni Association of Hong Kong and the Board of Advisors of the Arkansas World Trade Center. He was a co-founder of the Hong Kong Venture Capital Association. He is a member of the Hong Kong Forum, an Asian regional think-tank affiliated with the US Council on Foreign Relations, and has been a member of the Hong Kong Chapter of the YPO/WPO organization.
Louis holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and has a BA in Economics from the University of Arkansas.