FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE VACCINE MARKET ANALYSIS

High costs associated with vaccine production can hamper the global foot and mouth disease vaccine market growth. Producing FMD vaccines involves a complex and costly process. FMD viruses have multiple serotypes and each serotype requires its own dedicated vaccine. Manufacturers must conduct extensive research and testing to develop vaccines for each new emerging strain. They also need to continuously monitor the circulating strains and update the vaccines as needed. The manufacturing process itself is also risky and expensive. FMD viruses can only be cultivated in live animals under high biosecurity conditions. Vaccine production involves handling the live viruses and isolating them from infected tissues. Ensuring biosecurity and safety during every step increases production costs tremendously. Additional costs are incurred in stability testing, validation, sterilization and meeting stringent global quality standards. With seven distinct serotypes of FMD viruses known to exist worldwide, continuous vaccine development and strain surveillance further increase costs.

Market Opportunities: Development of thermostable vaccines

The development of thermostable vaccines provides a unique opportunity for  global foot and mouth disease vaccine market growth. Currently, cold chain storage and distribution requirements limit the efficacy and practicality of existing FMD vaccines in many parts of the world, especially developing regions where the disease remains prevalent. Thermostable vaccines that do not require consistent refrigeration would eliminate these cold chain constraints and allow for more widespread FMD control programs globally. With the ability to effectively and reliably transport and administer vaccines at higher ambient temperatures, thermostable FMD vaccines could enable vaccination campaigns in remote and rural agricultural communities that currently have little to no access to cold storage facilities. This would help reduce the risks of FMD outbreaks in newly immunized populations and aid efforts for disease eradication. Transporting and stockpiling thermostable vaccines would also be significantly less complex and costly compared to conventional cold-chain dependent vaccines. The cost savings from simplified logistics could be reallocated to increasing vaccine coverage in developing nations.