The feasibility study has been performed to provide insights into the cattle health markets, to develop the commercialization and IP strategies as well as to expand value chain for FarmPharma. The consolidated and investor-ready business plan was compiled based on this study. The study revealed that FarmPharma will be targeting the cattle antimicrobials market segment of animal health market, which is currently worth of €1.7 billion and expected to further grow in the coming years. This growth is driven by a rising demand for animal protein products, a growing incidence of zoonotic diseases, regulations to prevent spread of animal diseases, and increasing R&D in animal health. On the other hand, further growth of the market is hampered by a lack of new antibiotics, rising antimicrobial resistance, expensive animal healthcare, and increasing consumer awareness. However, as a new and effective antimicrobial therapy, based on natural interferons and thus not causing any resistance, InterferOx is providing a solution to the first two restraining factors, meaning that these market-restraining factors are actually favourable for FarmPharma. The structure and conditions of the cattle antimicrobials market are also very favourable for FarmPharma as a company and InterferOx as a product (Fig.1). The competition within the industry is minimal, the bargaining power of customers and suppliers is restricted, the threat of substitute products is limited, and the threat of new entrants is moderate. Evaluation of freedom to operate reveals that InterferOx will be patentable. To launch InterferOx on the market all by themselves is very difficult for FarmPharma, instead FarmPharma follows the most successful approach by joining forces with a big pharma company, either via a licensing or co-development deal for InterferOx or a trade sale of the company. It is key to generate data on the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of InterferOx against selected pathogens in preclinical and clinical trials. The target pathogens have been chosen based on the indication where InterferOx can have the most impact. Thereafter an interest for a licensing deal or acquisition from many animal health companies can be expected. The highest value and return on investment being expected after successful registration of InterferOx. FarmPharma has set up a collaboration with one of the leading European animal health regulatory agencies to advise on the best consecutive steps for approval, assess the optimal regulatory strategy for bringing InterferOx to the market and implement this as early on in the development process as possible. FarmPharma has established an international consortium with complementary expertise in immunology, drug development and agriculture consisting of three SMEs and two academic partners which together will develop, upscale and clinically validate our unique veterinary product InterferOx. FarmPharma represented this business idea to investors and local life science community in Uppsala innovation center, Connect Sverige (Uppsala investors network) and Invest in Green 2019 Svenska Solelmässan.
