Intervet/Schering-Plough receives EU backing for pig vaccine option

Intervet/Schering-Plough has been granted a recommendation for approval of a new simultaneous administration method for its pig vaccines Porcilis PRRS and Porcilis M Hyo.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use of the European Medicines Agency has issued a positive opinion that the two treatments can be administered as a single injection without undermining the efficacy of either vaccine.

This opinion was based on positive findings from laboratory studies, which showed no difference in terms of lung lesion scores or viremia among pigs receiving single or simultaneous injections.

According to Intervet/Schering-Plough, approval of this new method will make it easier for livestock owners to protect their animals from both porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

Alex Eggen, technical lead for Intervet/Schering-Plough’s swine division, added: “The reduction of the number of animal interventions and injections is also expected to reduce stress and therefore may lead to an overall improvement in animal welfare.”

Last month, Intervet/Schering-Plough announced that it will be relaunching its equine strangles vaccine Equilis StrepE in the UK later this year after making improvements to the formula.