April 20, 2010

Norwegian Pharmaq's salmon vaccine approved in Chile

Norwegian aquaculture veterinary pharmaceutical company, Pharmaq's vaccine ALPHA JECT^® micro 1 ISA received a provisional marketing authorisation from the Chilean authorities on Thursday (April 15).

The vaccine is the company's first against Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) and will be a significant contribution to Chilean fish farmers' fight against the devastating disease, which struck the industry in 2007.

To help and rebuild a sustainable Chilean salmon industry, Pharmaq established an extensive ISA project in 2007 with an investment reaching nearly NOK40 million (US$6.79 million).

"This proves our targeted focus in development of ISA vaccines to the industry," said Morten Nordstad, CEO of Pharmaq.

ALPHA JECT® micro 1 ISA is a single-component ISA vaccine. In addition, an application for a multi-component ISA vaccine from the company has also been submitted to the Chilean authorities.

"We hope to receive an approval of the multi-component vaccine for Chile in the near future. Within Pharmaq there is a wide basis of competence and knowledge of the ISA virus and vaccine development. Our next objective will be to include the well documented ISA vaccine component into vaccines for the fish farming industry in Norway and the Faroe Islands," Nordstad added.