Merck Animal Health Announces the Availability of MILDVAC-Ma5®
Summit, N.J., April 10, 2014 – Merck Animal Health today announced the availability of MILDVAC-Ma5®, a vaccine to control Massachusetts-type infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) – the most prevalent IBV serotype worldwide1 and one that costs the U.S. poultry industry millions of dollars in revenue loss each year.2 IBV targets not only the respiratory tract but also the uro-genital tract and can spread to different organs throughout the chicken. The infection initially causes respiratory disease in the impacted birds and also impacts egg production in layers and breeders. Control is best achieved by improved biosecurity and vaccination.
Unlike other vaccines, research results show MILDVAC-Ma5® can provide broad coverage across multiple IBV strains and protection against ciliostasis. “Specifically, MILDVAC-Ma5® provided more than 88 percent protection against Mass41 when measured by the ciliostasis test. When combined with the Delaware-type 072 strain found in Shor-Bron®-D, the vaccine offered protection against ciliostasis when broilers were challenged with Ark/ArkDPI/81, GA11 or GA98,”3 says Mark Jackwood, Ph.D., Department Head – Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, University of Georgia.
In addition, MILDVAC-Ma5® has minimal impact on the bird because it contains a homogenous virus, which reduces biological variation and helps ensure the vaccine will perform as expected in real-world settings. MILDVAC-Ma5® can be administered by coarse spray at 1 day of age or older or in the drinking water at 2 weeks of age or older. It also can be administered to 1-day-old chicks with Delaware-type, 072 strain (e.g. Shor-Bron-D). If needed for large birds, re-vaccination is recommended at 2 weeks of age.
MILDVAC-Ma5® is part of Protectotype™, a novel poultry vaccination program, which offers a proven approach to managing multiple strains of infectious bronchitis in broiler and layer flocks.
“The Protectotype system focuses on maximizing IB protection through the combination of individual vaccines,” says Charlie Broussard, D.V.M., director of scientific marketing affairs for poultry, Merck Animal Health. “When a bird receives two IB vaccines, it can gain protection to three or more IB serotypes – the two known IB serotypes and newly adapted IB serotypes for which there is no existing vaccine. The resulting cross protection helps ensure healthier flocks with overall better performance, increased uniformity, and improved gain and feed performance – all of which enhance an operation’s bottom line.”3
MILDVAC-Ma5® is part of Merck Animal Health’s respiratory product portfolio, which has long provided science-based solutions to optimize poultry performance, profits and productivity. To learn more about MILDVAC-Ma5® and IB vaccination programs, visit http://www.infectious-bronchitis.com/ or http://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/species/poultry/index.aspx.
About Merck Animal Health
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck.Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health-usa.com.
Merck Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).
1. Khalil, Saman, et al. Residue Withdrawal of Florfenicol from the Serum and Edible Tissues of Broiler Chickens. Journal of American Science 2012;8(12).
2.Cooper, Nan. UConn Today – University of Connecticut. June 15, 2011.
3.Jackwood Ph.D., Mark. Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center – University of Georgia. ‘Evaluating Protection from Ciliostasis in MA5 and DE072 Vaccinated SPF Chickens Challenged With the GA11 Variant type of IBV,’ 2011.