Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, the global leader in animal health solutions, announces that its innovative recombinant INNOVAX poultry vaccine range has been introduced in markets in Latin America.

The novel INNOVAX vaccine range, developed by scientists at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, consists of live virus vector vaccines that protect against pathogens that cause severe infections in poultry, such as Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT), Marek's Disease (MD) and Newcastle Disease (ND).

In Latin America, INNOVAX vaccines are to be used at the hatchery as a single-dose injection into the egg of 18-day old embryos or as a subcutaneous injection in the chick at hatch, offering life-long protection without adverse vaccination reactions.

Unlike traditional viral vaccines, which use killed or attenuated live viruses to prevent disease outbreaks, INNOVAX vaccines employ a completely different approach. The vector vaccine is created by inserting (using recombinant technology) immunogenic gene sequences from a disease-causing virus into the virus genome of the non-pathogenic herpes virus of turkey, which is also used for protection against Marek's disease.

The vaccine range has recently been introduced in Mexico under the name FUSION and in Peru and is close to introduction in other Latin American countries, said Rick van Oort, Global Marketing Manager of the Poultry Business Unit.

In 2010, the company plans to further introduce both INNOVAX-ILT and INNOVAX-ND-SB in other parts of the world, Van Oort added.

INNOVAX-ND-SB is a recombinant vector vaccine against ND and virulent MD, reaching full immunity at four weeks. Duration of immunity against ND was at least 40 weeks and immunity against MD is for life. INNOVAX-ND-SB is USDA-approved and is commercially available in the US.

Based in Boxmeer, the Netherlands, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is focused on the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of animal health products.