April 27, 2009

EU marketing authorisation is expected to be granted for Improvac, a vaccine to control boar taint, in the coming two to three months.

The vaccine, produced by Pfizer Animal Health, received a positive opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) last month. Normally, it takes another 90 days from that moment before official authorisation is granted.

The two-shot vaccine causes an immunological suppression of testicular function, which removes the occurrence of boar taint and thus takes away the necessity to castrate male piglets. In addition, entire piglets grow better than castrates.

The committee recommended granting a marketing authorisation for Improvac a solution for injection with minimum 300 μg per 2ml dose, intended as an alternative to physical castration for the reduction of boar taint caused by the key boar taint compound androstenone, in entire male pigs following the onset of puberty.

Detailed conditions for the use of this product will be described in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) which will be published in the European Public Assessment Report (EPAR) and will be available in all official European Union languages after the marketing authorisation has been granted by the European Commission.