Merial Animal Health Sapo licence restored

Merial Animal Health has announced that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has given it permission to begin manufacturing certain vaccines again.

The drug manufacturer’s Specified Animal Pathogens Order (Sapo) licence has been restored to the firm, following its suspension last year.

Such a move means the company can begin manufacturing vaccines against bluetongue and foot and mouth diseases at its Pirbright Centre.

Merial thanked the government’s veterinary services, its customers and farmers for their patience during the period it was unable to produce the vaccines.

“This is excellent news and means Merial can restart the production of urgently-needed veterinary vaccines immediately,” the firm’s statement added.

Defra stated that it had restored the Sapo licence – which allows the firm to possess and use the foot and mouth and bluetongue viruses – to Merial Animal Health following inspections by both itself and the Health and Safety Executive.