Merial’s Schmallenberg disease vaccine approved in France

Merial's new inactivated vaccine against Schmallenberg disease has cleared a key European regulatory milestone after receiving approval in France.

SBVvax has been awarded a market authorisation under exceptional circumstances for active immunisation to prevent viremia due to the Schmallenberg virus in sheep and cattle, based on positive data from clinical trials.

Schmallenberg disease was first identified at the end of 2011 and has become a major health issue, with more than 8,000 farms seeing confirmed cases of the virus in Europe between September 2011 and April 2013.

Dr Silke Birlenbach, head of veterinary public health at Merial, said: "After having successfully developed the leading vaccine against the emergent bluetongue serotypes in Europe, Merial is now applying that expertise to the newly-emerging problem of Schmallenberg virus disease."

This approval bodes well for SBVvax's prospects of being ratified for sale in the UK, with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate having already commenced a review of the product.

MSD Animal Health's Bovilis SBV became the first vaccine specifically targeting the Schmallenberg virus to be approved in the UK earlier this year.