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§ Private Profile · 1805 Collaboration Pl Ste 1250, Ames, Iowa, 50010, United States
Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines is a company.
Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines has raised $11.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines.
Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines has raised $11.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Mazen Animal Health develops oral vaccine technology for livestock, utilizing its proprietary Oralogics™ platform. This approach engineers corn plants to produce specific antigens, enabling vaccine delivery through animal feed. Their initial product targets porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), providing lactogenic immunity to piglets via maize-derived antigens. They also advance an oral vaccine for African swine fever (ASF).
Dr. Jenny Filbey, Chief Executive Officer, founded Mazen Animal Health in 2016. Her insight focused on developing a more efficient, accessible animal vaccination method, moving beyond traditional injectable solutions. Dr. Filbey established the company to commercialize this oral vaccine technology, aiming to improve animal health.
Mazen Animal Health targets the animal agriculture sector, offering producers practical disease prevention tools. By transforming vaccine administration from injection to oral consumption, the company enhances animal welfare and simplifies farm operations. Their vision is to establish new veterinary standards, enabling widespread, effective immunization.
Key people at Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines.
Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines has raised $11.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $11.0M Mazen Animal Health - Series A in May 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2022 | $11M Series A | Eric O'Brien | 1330 Investments, Addison Laboratories, AgFunder, AG Startup Engine, AG Ventures Alliance, Calpoly Ventures, ISAV, Kent Corporation, Next Level Ventures, SLO Seed Ventures, Summit AG | Announced |
Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines has raised $11.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Mazen Animal Health - Oral Vaccines's investors include Eric O'Brien, 1330 Investments, Addison Laboratories, AgFunder, Ag Startup Engine, Ag Ventures Alliance, Calpoly Ventures, ISAV, Kent Corporation, Next Level Ventures, SLO Seed Ventures, Summit Ag.
Mazen Animal Health is a biotechnology company developing plant-based, orally delivered vaccines for the animal health industry, using corn seeds as a biofactory to produce antigens integrated into animal feed.[1][2][3] It targets livestock diseases like Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) in swine and Coccidiosis in poultry, serving farmers by solving labor-intensive injection challenges, reducing antibiotic use, and providing cost-effective protection passed through maternal milk or feed.[1][3] The company has shown strong growth momentum, raising $2M in seed funding, $12M in Series A (led by Fall Line Capital in 2022), and securing grants like a 2024 Iowa award for African Swine Fever research, while expanding facilities in North Carolina, Illinois, and California and growing its team to 21 employees.[2][3]
Mazen Animal Health was founded in 2016 by CEO Jenny Filbey, PhD, and co-founder John Howard, a leading expert in recombinant protein production in plants whose research originated at Cal Poly's Tech Park over nearly two decades.[2][3][4] The idea emerged from Howard's breakthrough work on molecular farming, leveraging Iowa's corn, pork, and poultry strengths to create edible vaccines that address injection-related labor, safety, and efficacy issues in livestock.[1][3] Early traction included angel investments totaling $1.3M, a $2M Series Seed round with SBDC support proving oral vaccine efficacy in sow trials (protecting piglets from PEDV), and pivotal partnerships like Kent Corporation for market advancement.[2][3]
Mazen rides the agbiotech trend toward sustainable animal health, aligning with molecular farming to produce biologics at scale amid rising demand for antibiotic alternatives and efficient livestock solutions in a $5B+ global vaccine market.[1][3][4] Timing is ideal post-2022 funding amid pork/poultry production pressures from diseases like PEDV (high piglet mortality) and Coccidiosis (gut lesions managed via antibiotics), with Iowa's corn dominance and investor ecosystem accelerating commercialization.[3] Market forces favoring Mazen include regulatory pushes for reduced antibiotics, labor shortages on farms, and climate-resilient supply chains via stable, transport-easy vaccines; it influences the ecosystem by pioneering cross-species platforms (livestock to pets/wildlife), fostering Iowa/NC agtech hubs, and partnering with ventures like Kent for faster market entry.[3][4]
Mazen is poised for regulatory approvals and commercialization of PEDV/Cocci vaccines, with capital fueling scale-up, pipeline expansion (e.g., aquaculture, ASF), and team growth beyond 21 employees.[3] Trends like precision ag, foreign disease preparedness, and plant-made pharma will propel it, potentially capturing significant share in swine/poultry markets while evolving into a multi-species leader. As oral vaccines redefine prevention over treatment, Mazen's corn-based innovation—born from Cal Poly research and proven in trials—positions it to transform animal health economics and sustainability, delivering the cost-effective protection livestock producers need.
