Sept. 12 2019 02:14 PM

Studies Presented at EBC 2019 Support Early Activation of the Immune Response With BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live MSD Animal Health Also Presents Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Award

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MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, today announced new data on the BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live vaccine for cattle, presented at the European Bovine Congress (EBC) 2019, September 11-13, in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. This new intranasal, live vaccine can be used in calves as young as one week of age for active immunization. It will reduce clinical signs of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) and viral shedding from infection with Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3 Virus (PI3).

BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live is the only EU licensed vaccine against BRD that can be administered at 1 week of age. With the onset of immunity starting 5 days after administration, no other EU licensed BRD vaccine acts as fast and protects calves earlier.

“Bovine respiratory disease, a significant threat to calf health and welfare, can cause pneumonia and permanent lung damage in young calves and adult cattle. A major cause of economic loss in the dairy and beef industries, BRD has an estimated prevalence of up to 72%i,” said Dr. Geert Vertenten, Global Technical Director, Ruminant Biologicals, MSD Animal Health. “We are pleased to share new data with veterinarians and producers that demonstrate an early memory effect of vaccination, leading to a protective immune mechanism in vaccinated animals. BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live also offers a convenient intranasal application that will help them run a successful farm business with healthy cattle.”

With BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live, immunity against nasal shedding due to BRSV and PI3 is achieved respectively after five to seven days. New data presented at EBC 2019 support the activation of the innate immune response. In one study, vaccination with BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live induced an innate immune response in vaccinated animals starting five days after vaccination, while general disease indicators remained low compared to animals that were not vaccinated.ii In another study, vaccinated animals did not exhibit a strong inflammatory response after challenge, indicating an early memory effect of the vaccination, leading to an optimal protective immune mechanism in vaccinated animals.

On Thursday, September 12, MSD Animal Health will also present the Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Award to Delower Hossain, DVM, lecturer, Department of Medicine and Public Health, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr. Hossain was awarded the grant for his research on behalf of the Bangladesh-Sweden-Netherlands collaborative project, “Development on Udder Health Control Programme in Dairy Cows in Bangladesh,” on the prevalence, risk factors and etiology of subclinical mastitis, an infection of the udder that is a major issue on Bangladeshi dairy farms. In future research, Dr. Hossaim aims to understand the drivers of mastitis transmission in order to identify preventive measures. The Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Fund is an annual grant of 10,000 euros awarded to a promising young veterinarian in a country with an unmet need in bovine medicine, sponsored by MSD Animal Health.

MSD Animal Health will present one oral and five poster presentations at the congress; for additional information, please see the program at https://www.europeanbovinecongress2019.com/programme/programme/.

About BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live

BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP™ Live vaccine can be used in calves as young as one week of age for active immunization, and to reduce clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and viral shedding from infection with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and parainfluenza-3 virus (PI3). It is the only European Union-licensed vaccine against BRD that can be administered one week after a calf’s birth. Early age protection can prevent pneumonia and impact a calf’s productive future.

About MSD Animal Health Ruminants

With the broad portfolio of BOVILIS® vaccines, MSD Animal Health supports the most complete, preventive health solutions, support services and continuous education. The company’s “Science of Prevention” program, a preventative approach to disease across the entire lifecycle, aims to help educate veterinarians and producers on how to implement prevention methods before the animal is born, when it is growing up, and during production in adulthood to effectively improve animal health, well-being and productivity. The three pillars of the “Science of Prevention” are disease avoidance, achieved through good animal husbandry, stress-free housing, vaccination, hygiene and nutrition; prompt diagnosis and treatment, aimed at preventing the spread of disease, disease severity and complications; and the health restoration of affected animals.

Vaccines play an important role in protecting animal and public health. Timely and effective vaccination reduces the incidence and severity of disease, enabling efficient production of food animals. The health and well-being of animals is the first and foremost priority of MSD Animal Health.

About MSD Animal Health

For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of MSD. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com/ or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

iCaucci C, Di Martino G, Schiavon E, et al. (2018) Impact of bovine respiratory disease on lung lesions, slaughter performance and antimicrobial usage in French beef cattle finished in North-Eastern Italy, Italian Journal of Animal Science, 17:4, 1065-1069, DOI: 10.1080/1828051X.2018.1426395.

iiNuijten P, Cleton N, Loop Jvd, Makoschey B, Vertenten G. Early activation of the innate immune response after vaccination with a new intranasal. European Bovine Congress; 2019 11 - 13 September 2019; 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.

iiiNuijten P, Cleton N, Loop Jvd, Makoschey B, Vertenten G. A new intranasal BRD vaccine activated an early memory effect and protective immune mechanism. European Bovine Congress; 2019 11 - 13 September 2019; 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.