Harrisvaccines, Inc. is focused on developing effacious and safe vaccines for two of the most economically devastating viral diseases affecting swine: Swine Influenza Virus (SIV) and Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV).  All vaccine products are in the process for USDA licensed approval. 

The anticipated date of licensure is indicated below.

Novel H1N1 SIV - USDA license expected summer 2010 - subunit vaccine

H3N2 SIV - USDA license expected fall 2011 - RNA Particle

PRRSV - USDA  license expected early 2012 - RNA Particle

PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) has devastated the swine industry and baffled private and public sector researchers for more than three decades. While working as researchers at Iowa State University in 2005, Harrisvaccines scientists (Drs. Harris and Erdman), discovered that two of the virus's surface protein structures allowed the virus to 'cloak' itself from the pig's immune system.  These proteins were determined to be the Protective Antigenic Determinants (PAD) for the inducement of antibodies to prevent the PRRS virus in pigs; thus making the proteins the basis for creating a vaccine. Iowa State University filed a provisional patent based on these findings in November of 2005, which has consequently been issued and exclusively licensed to Harrisvaccines.

During 2005, Erdman learned that scientists at AlphaVax, a human vaccine company in North Carolina, had developed a replicon-based platform superior to conventional vaccine technology that was currently in use at the time. Based on other research, it appeared likely that AlphaVax’s replicon platform was a good match for delivering the ISU PAD (viral protein elements) as a vaccine.  Thus, an alliance between the ISU and North Carolina scientists was formed for collaborative research.  Subsequently, an evaluation agreement between AlphaVax and Harrisvaccines was signed.  During the evaluation agreement, it was shown by Harrisvaccine scientists that a human vaccine prepared at AlphaVax for influenza would protect pigs against the influenza virus as well.  This was the first time that the replicon technology had been used in pigs.  In 2007, Harrisvaccines and AlphaVax  signed an agreement for a field of use exclusive license for the replicon technology to be used in swine for vaccines for PRRS and Swine Influenza (SIV).