VETERINARY MEDICINES DIRECTORATE GRANTS MARKETING AUTHORISATION FOR AQUAVAC® S7

Veterinary Medicines Directorate grants Marketing Authorisation for AQUAVAC^® S7, a multivalent, oil-based vaccine for farmed Atlantic salmon from MSD Animal Health. New vaccine for active immunisation of Atlantic salmon to reduce mortality caused by seven common diseases in European salmon aquaculture.

MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), has announced the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has granted marketing authorisation for AQUAVAC® S7, a heptavalent, oil-based vaccine for farmed Atlantic salmon in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This new vaccine offering is indicated for active immunisation of Atlantic salmon to reduce mortality caused by infections with Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV), Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida (furunculosis), Aliivibrio salmonicida (cold-water vibriosis), Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 and O2a (vibriosis), Moritella viscosa (winter ulcer disease), and Yersinia ruckeri (yersiniosis).

The vaccine offers a rapid onset of immunity by 469 degree days (dd) for M. viscosa, 500 dd for all other bacterial components, and 517 dd for IPNV. The duration of immunity for IPNV is 7 months and 12 months for the bacterial components.

AQUAVAC S7 is comprised of inactivated whole cell antigens of A. salmonicida, Aliivibrio salmonicida, V. anguillarum serovar O1 and O2a, M. viscosa CC1, Y. ruckeri serotype O1 (Hagerman), and IPNV, in a convenient total dose volume of 0.05 ml. The vaccine is manufactured without serum components, providing an innovation to farmers that enhances fish welfare and safety as demonstrated in safety studies.

“This vaccine is innovative not only in how it works, but in how it can be used. As it includes Yersinia ruckeri, this serum-free vaccine represents a good combination for customers who want to protect against yersiniosis,” said Dafydd Morris, Executive Director, Aqua Lead – EURAM, MSD Animal Health.

The vaccine is the first aqua product to be registered by MSD Animal Health after its acquisition of the Elanco aqua business, “showing the long term commitment of our company to aquaculture,” Morris added.

Rodrigo Belmonte, R&D Director, MSD Animal Health, said:

“AQUAVAC S7 is an important scientific step forward for fish health as it is our first heptavalent fish vaccine formulated serum-free. By improving immunity and reducing disease pressure, this vaccine supports stronger fish welfare and gives farmers a reliable way to reduce losses and improve productivity.

Image: ©Fish Focus