Misha wrote:
> Howdy, all--
>
> As long as we're on the topic of university-industry "partnerships"
> in response to on-farm problems....
>
> peace
> misha
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/19/99
> >For More Information:
> >William Goodger, (608) 263-7896; wgoodger@facstaff.wisc.edu
> >Alison Taunton-Rigby, (508) 766-2700
> >
> >
> >Note to editors: Downloadable high-resolution images of Holstein cows are
> >available at http://www.news.wisc.edu/newsphotos/cows.html
> >
> >
> >PROMISING MASTITIS TREATMENT TO GET WISCONSIN TEST RUN
> >
> >MADISON - A new bovine mastitis product that enhances the cow's immune
> >system and may curb the costliest disease facing dairy farmers will undergo
> >a key trial this year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
> >
> >A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensing study will be
> >conducted at UW-Madison's Charmany Experimental Farm on the mastitis
> >product Quilvax-M, developed by the Massachusetts firm Aquila
> >Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Aquila has been working with scientists from
> >UW-Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine since 1993 on developing and
> >testing the product.
> >
> >"This is one of three studies that will be run in parallel and is based on
> >earlier trials where we were able to demonstrate promising safety,
> >immunogenicity and effectiveness," says Alison Taunton-Rigby, president and
> >chief executive officer of Aquila, based in Framingham, Mass.
> >
> >If the licensing study confirms earlier tests, the drug could significantly
> >reduce the estimated $2 billion in annual mastitis-related economic losses,
> >says William Goodger, a UW-Madison professor of veterinary medicine and
> >principal investigator of the trial.
> >
> >Mastitis, an inflammation in the cow's udder, is caused by bacterial
> >infections, the most common culprits being S. aureus and E. coli. The
> >disease tends to lower the productivity of the cow and reduce the quality of
> >the milk. It often strikes the most productive cows in a herd.
> >
> >The UW-Madison site will focus on testing the effectiveness of the product
> >against the S. aureus bacteria. In the past two months, Goodger says the
> >research team has identified 44 Holstein cows from farmers across Wisconsin
> >that fit enrollment criteria for the study. They will be treating the cows
> >with the product and later challenging the animals with the S. aureus
> >bacteria, commonly referred to as "staph."
> >
> >Goodger says the product helps maintain the normal quality of the milk.
> >Cows with mastitis tend to produce milk with a high somatic cell count,
> >which are inflammatory white blood cells that greatly devalue the milk.
> >
> >"In previous trials, we were able to show that the somatic cell counts of
> >the animals stayed relatively normal," he says.
> >
> >The staph bacteria are extremely common on Wisconsin dairy farms, and are
> >found to some extent in about 80 percent of the state's herds. "It's a
> >chronic disease and farmers have a common line, 'once a staph cow, always a
> >staph cow,' " Goodger says. "We had to sample the bulk milk tanks of 600
> >herds in Wisconsin to identify 134 farms that had cows testing negative for
> >S. aureus. In the past, farmers have gotten frustrated and culled their
> >cows (with staph)," he adds. "But that's absolutely the most expensive way
> >to treat the disease."
> >
> >Goodger and co-investigators Chet Thomas, a pathobiological sciences
> >professor; and Chris Eisele, a research associate; have collaborated with
> >Aquila since 1993. This new study will be a significant milestone in the
> >project by proving the product's market benefits and satisfying the USDA's
> >requirements of safety and effectiveness.
> >
> >"This has been a wonderful relationship with the farmers, the veterinarians
> >in the field, the UW experts in dairy science and production medicine, and
> >the company," Goodger says. "This relationship is what has made this
> >research program successful."
> >
> >Aquila is a life sciences company developing and commercializing a range of
> >proprietary products which enhance the immune response in animals and
> >humans. Its products are intended for use in treating, controlling and
> >preventing infectious diseases, cancers and autoimmune disorders.
> >
> >The study will run through spring 2000, and Quilvax-M may become
> >commercially available later next year.
> >###
> >- Brian Mattmiller, (608) 262-9772
> >
> >
> >
> >***********************************
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> >news release system, please send an email to:
> >UW-news@facstaff.wisc.edu
> >
> >For more UW-Madison news, please visit the
> >Office of News and Public Affairs Web site:
> >http://www.news.wisc.edu/
> >
> >Office of News and Public Affairs
> >University of Wisconsin-Madison
> >28 Bascom Hall
> >500 Lincoln Drive
> >Madison, WI 53706
> >
> >Email: UW-news@facstaff.wisc.edu
> >Phone: (608) 262-3571
> >Fax: (608) 262-2331
> >
> >**************************************************************
> >* Brian Mattmiller / Office of News and Public Affairs *
> >* University of Wisconsin-Madison *
> >* Room 25 Bascom Hall / 500 Lincoln Dr. / Madison, WI 53706 *
> >* ph: 608/262-9772 / fax: 608/262-2331 *
> >**************************************************************
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Michele Gale-Sinex
> Communications manager
> Center for Integrated Ag Systems, UW-Madison
> http://www.wisc.edu
> UW voice mail: 608-262-8018
> Home office: 415-504-6474 (504-MISH)
> Home office fax: Same as above, phone first for enabling
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I eat everything. If anything is there, I eat it. I presume it is
> safe and good. --U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman
>
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