The global animal health company, IDT Biologika, has acquired Ridgeway Biologicals Ltd., UK-based specialists in autogenous vaccines.
“We are excited by the opportunity that IDT brings us to move our services internationally”, said Ridgeway’s managing director, Dr Tim Wallis.
“Currently, antibiotics are used in farm animals in the absence of alternatives to control disease, such as effective vaccines for disease prevention. There is huge pressure to reduce antibiotic usage and autogenous vaccines, formulated to the specific requirements of our customers, should be able to help with this aim.”
Supplying vaccines for use across the pig, poultry, ruminant and aquaculture sectors, Ridgeway Biologicals has a workforce of 25 employees at its facility in Compton, Berkshire.
“By working closely with our clients and using DNA-based molecular diagnostics we aim to fully understand the disease problems affecting farms,” said Dr Wallis. “We are able to re-formulate vaccines as required by continuously monitoring the pathogen burden on farm thereby providing ongoing disease control.”
Ridgeway Biologicals is also currently working towards being the UK’s first viral autogenous vaccine manufacturer.
Headline image shows (left to right) Dr Ralf Pfirmann, CEO IDT Biologika; Dr Tim Wallis, Managing Director of Ridgeway Biologicals, and Andreas Kastenbauer, Managing Director of IDT Biologika.