VANGUARD®crLyme: A next generation Lyme disease vaccine that prevents B. burgdorferi infection in dogs

Lyme disease, a public health threat of significance to both veterinary and human medicine, is caused by the tick (Ixodes) transmitted spirochete, Borreliella burgdorferi. Here we report on the immunogenicity and efficacy of VANGUARD®crLyme (Zoetis), the most recent canine Lyme disease vaccine to be approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. VANGUARD®crLyme is a subunit vaccine consisting of outer surface protein A (OspA) and a recombinant outer surface protein C (OspC) based-chimeric epitope protein (chimeritope) that consists of at least 14 different linear epitopes derived from diverse OspC proteins. The combination of OspA and the OspC chimeritope (Ch14) in the vaccine formulation allows for the development of humoral immune responses that work synergistically to target spirochetes in both ticks and in mammals. Immunogenicity was assessed in purpose-bred dogs. A two-dose vaccination protocol resulted in high antibody titers to OspA and Ch14 and vaccinal antibody reacted with 25 different recombinant OspC variants. Efficacy was demonstrated using an Ixodes scapularis -purpose bred dog challenge model. Vaccination with VANGUARD®crLyme provided protection against infection and prevented the development of clinical manifestations and histopathological changes associated with Lyme disease.