August 30, 2007
UK Vet Officials: Merial can restart foot-and-mouth vaccine
Merial said Wednesday (August 29) the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, or VMD, confirmed it has no objection to Merial's re-starting manufacture of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines from stored, inactivated antigens at Pirbright Centre.
Recommencement of finished vaccine production means that Merial is now able to serve its overseas customers.
Following the foot and mouth outbreak in southern England in early August, Merial voluntarily suspended production.
Vaccine production temporarily recommenced August 6 in order to supply England's Department for Environment and Rural Affairs, or Defra's, order for 300,000 foot-and-mouth vaccine doses. That batch was completed August 8 and since that time no further finished vaccine has been made.
There remains no production of foot and mouth virus by Merial at Pirbright. Full production - involving foot-and-mouth virus - will not recommence without full consultation with Defta and the VMD. Merial said they are constantly reviewing any such decision with Defra and the VMD.
Merial invited VMD to re-inspect the Centre during the week commencing August 13 and it is as a consequence of that rigorous inspection that Merial is now in a position to recommence vaccine production. VMD has the responsibility in the UK for inspecting Good Manufacturing Practice, or GMP, at veterinary facilities such as Merial's.
It thus assures that Merial conducts operations to the required UK standards. Prior to this most recent VMD inspection, the Pirbright Centre was last issued with a full GMP certificate by the VMD in April 2007.
Merial has operated at Pirbright for 15 years and in all that time there has not been a breach of bio-security.
After continuous examination of its systems Merial found no evidence that the outbreak in Surrey can be traced to any failure in its bio-security procedures or equipment. Merial said it is eager to learn the findings of the investigations into the cause of the food and mouth outbreak and continues to work with the investigators as required.
