Recombinant vector vaccine protects chickens against Newcastle disease and Marek's disease in a single dose

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Poulvac® Procerta® HVT-ND, a recombinant vector vaccine for the protection of chickens against Newcastle disease (ND) and Marek’s disease viruses. The vaccine can be administered either in ovo or by subcutaneous injection at hatch, providing protection against both diseases with a single dose.

Newcastle disease is a notifiable disease under EU animal health regulations and a significant cause of mortality and production losses in commercial poultry, as evidenced by recent confirmed outbreaks across Germany, Spain and Poland. Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND uses the herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) as its vector – an avirulent virus capable of replicating in chickens that has been used as a vaccine vector in poultry for about two decades. The vaccine virus expresses a Newcastle disease virus antigen, stimulating immunity against ND while simultaneously providing protection against Marek’s disease.