April 9, 2010

Pfizer removes BVD vaccine from German market

Pfizer will temporarily remove the product Pregsure, a vaccine against Bovine Virus Diarrhea Vaccine (BVD) off the German market. 

The product is temporarily withdrawn from the market in relation to the prevention of hemophilia in calves. There may be a link between the disease and the vaccine.

"In Germany, most of these calves with hemophilia were found of which 80% of the calves were born from cows that were vaccinated with the BVD vaccine. Although there is no evidence that there is a relation with the vaccine, we still recommend the vaccine taken off the market for further investigation", a Pfizer spokesperson said.

Previous research on the vaccine shows that the drug itself is fine. "It could be that the vaccine affects the immune system and hence triggers the formation of hemophilia in calves", Pfizer explained. Pfizer intends to withdraw the product for a year.