Identifying Cross-Utilization of RSV Vaccine Inventions across the Human and Veterinary Field

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Human Virology
• Vaccine Development
• Intellectual Property Analysis

Background:

• Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) causes severe respiratory illness in children, with high hospitalization rates in Europe.
• Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is a major cause of pneumonia in calves, with existing vaccines lacking optimal efficacy.
• No licensed HRSV vaccine is available, despite significant disease burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate knowledge and collaboration between human and veterinary fields in HRSV/BRSV vaccine development.
• To assess if shared intellectual property (IP) indicates cross-utilization of inventions and knowledge exchange.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of patent data related to HRSV and BRSV vaccine development.
• Comparative assessment of genetic relatedness, pathogenesis, and disease severity between HRSV and BRSV.

Main Results:

• Limited cross-utilization of inventions was observed between human and veterinary vaccine development.
• No direct collaborations or shared IP were identified, indicating a lack of knowledge exchange.
• Despite genetic similarities, distinct development pathways exist for HRSV and BRSV vaccines.

Conclusions:

• The human and veterinary fields for HRSV and BRSV vaccine development operate largely independently.
• The potential benefits of shared knowledge and experience are not being realized.
• Future vaccine development could be accelerated by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.