Merck Animal Health Introduces First Injectable Ileitis Vaccine

Provides Unparalleled 20-weeks Duration of Immunity
MADISON, N.J., Sept. 16, 2015 – Merck Animal Health is pleased to introduce PORCILIS™ ILEITIS, the first injectable vaccine that offers a 20-week duration of immunity (DOI) for control of ileitis caused by Lawsonia intracellularis. Ileitis can significantly impact the health and performance of finishing pigs; curbing average daily gain by 38 percent and feed efficiency by 27 percent.1
Given as a single, intramuscular vaccination to pigs as young as 3 weeks of age, PORCILIS ILEITIS provides substantially longer protection – 13 additional weeks – compared to the water-administered vaccine on the market. It helps pigs maintain optimal health and efficient production performance until market. PORCILIS ILEITIS controls the disease, reduces colonization of L. intracellularis and reduces duration and concentration of fecal shedding. Results of a challenge study show that PORCILIS ILEITIS also was able to induce L. intracellularis antibody titers and control both gross and microscopic lesions.2
“Ileitis has been a long-standing and costly health challenge for the swine industry,” says Kelly Greiner, D.V.M., technical services manager, Merck Animal Health. “Because of the subclinical nature of this disease, subtle performance changes across a herd can go unnoticed, causing considerable economic losses. PORCILIS ILEITIS is a valuable tool to help producers better manage the disease – protecting the health of the herd and the operation’s bottom line.”
Merck Animal Health’s proprietary MICROSOL DILUVAC FORTE® adjuvant system, designed specifically for pigs, plays a key role in the vaccine’s efficacy. The adjuvant, also used in CIRCUMVENT® G2, has an impressive track record of creating longer and stronger immunity, which means when there’s an actual real-world exposure, a pig’s immune system will respond rapidly.
To learn more about PORCILIS ILEITIS, visit the Merck Animal Health website.

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.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @MerckAH.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. 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; the company’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 the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company 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 the company’s 2014 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. Paradis M.A., McKay R.I., Wilson J.B., Vessie G.H., Winkelman N.L. and Gebhart C.J. Subclinical ileitis produced by sequential dilutions of Lawsonia intracellularis in a mucosal homogenate challenge model. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. 2005.
  • 2. Data on file.