Koi Herpes Virus, (KHV) is deadly and affects all varieties of carp including the well-known Koi. KHV is a 'notifiable' disease and any symptoms found in fish stocks must be reported in the UK, to the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI). There is currently no cure for the disease but, as we approach the UK's best known pet and garden aquatic trade show, GLEE, (Birmingham NEC), scientists at a West Midlands bio-tech company, Henderson Morley may be on the verge of a KHV vaccine breakthrough.

In April 2008 Henderson Morley (HML), signed an agreement with pharmaceutical giant Schering-Plough. (In the UK, Schering owns Milton Keynes based Intervet).

Under the agreement Schering-Plough made undisclosed quarterly payments to HML's development of a KHV vaccine over a 15 month period. This was a precurser to an option to take an exclusive 10 year worldwide licence to commercially exploit any KHV vaccine produced by HML.

That 15 month sponsored development period is now ending. Throughout the period HML has been scrupulous in meeting the deadlines it set for itself in regular press updates.

HML has also developed ELISA blood tests that discriminate between infected and non infected fish and, during the development period, additions to vaccines that help boost immune responses to KHV.

By last Christmas, initial phase field studies were completed, and by March of this year the company anticipated that its results would be ready for submission to Schering-Plough in July.

Then came a slight slip in the schedule. We had to wait until 13 August for HML to report that its KHV vaccine field study had produced positive results. Two of its vaccine groups showed that 96% and 93% of vaccinated fish had survived and remained healthy beyond the study, (full details).

The news sent the price of HML's shares up almost 30%. Now, almost two weeks later and on a day that saw HML shares again up 20%, shareholders appear to be anticipating yet more news of a positive end to the project period.

After years of failure at finding a solution to the KHV problem in our carp, aquaculturists, ornamentals enthusiasts and UK anglers may soon be seeing light at the end of a very long Koi Herpes Virus tunnel.

Submitted by: Steve O'Malley      

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