Ground-breaking vaccine specificallydeveloped to improve Avian Influenza (H5N1) control in Egypt

Boehringer Ingelheim launches Volvac®B.E.S.T. AI+ND in Egypt

  • Egypt has one of the world’s highest incidences of H5N1 cases according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
  • The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza(HPAI) has evolved during the last years, requiring a new vaccine to improve the control of HPAI.
  • Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI+ND (Baculovirus Expression System Technology)is an innovative vaccine that provides unequalled protection against H5N1 Avian Influenzaand Newcastle Disease.
  • Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI + ND is specifically engineered using recombinant vaccine technology to provide better protectionand unequalled performance in the control of AvianInfluenza and Newcastle Disease.

Cairo, Egypt, 4 October 2015

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Healthhas launched a new vaccine against highly pathogenic avian influenzaH5N1 strains of avian influenza (bird flu) in chickens. Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI + ND(Baculovirus Expression System Technology)was developed specifically as a tool to improve control ofAvian Influenza and Newcastle Disease.

The World Health Organisation (WHO)has called for appropriate animal vaccination programs in Egypt as part of the efforts to reduce the negative impact of the H5N1 and the associated health and security consequences.1

In response to this call to action, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health tasked its research and development team with finding an effective vaccinethat would work against the range of highly pathogenic avian influenzaH5N1 viruses found in Egypt, which could also be produced in large quantities.

The response was the development of Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI+ND which marksa breakthrough in the control of HPAI in Egypt.

“It’s the first specificallyengineered vaccine that can be injected into ten dayschicken to provide this level of protectionagainst the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus”, saidMohammed Hussein, Head of Poultry Business, Middle East Turkey and Africa Region, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.

“We are proud of our research and development team at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health who engineered this innovative vaccine, especiallyconsidering the current situation in Egypt.”

 

Commenting on the performance of Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI+ND, Dr Hussein Ali Hussein, Chairman of Virology Department, Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University said: “We have found great results when conducting efficacy trials with Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI+ND. The published results from the main investigative trial showed 100 percent protection against strains of H5N1 influenza isolated here in Egypt.”2

“Furthermore, the way the vaccine has been engineered results in a protection against a broad spectrum of different highly pathogenic influenza viruses of the H5N1 and H5N2 subtype. This is very important because we know the viruses continuously mutate,” he said.

Influenza Aviruses, like the H5N1,circulating in animals can pose great threats to human health. Humans can become seriously ill when infected with these birdviruses, which is thought to occur following either by direct or indirect contact with infected birdsor contaminated areas.

By reducing the shedding of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus from infected birds, the risk of spreading to both other chickens and humans is greatly reduced.

In addition to the avian influenza component of Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI+ND, the vaccinealso contains also a component which provides protection against velogenic NewcastleDisease, a contagious bird disease with a very high mortality rate.

Volvac® B.E.S.T. AI+ND is the latest innovation from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, who is committed to the continued investment in research and development in order to find and develop new and better solutions for our customers. The company has a strong presence in the Middle East and Africa, serving the needs of its customers in the region with tailored solutions through its livestock, equine and poultry product lines.

References

  1. World Health Organisation. Egypt: Upsurge in H5N1 human and poultry cases but no change in transmission pattern of infection. http://www.emro.who.int/egy/egypt-news/upsurge-h5n1-human-poultry-cases-may-2015.html. Last accessed 15 September 2015.
  2. Beato MS et al. Cross-clade protection against H5N1 HPAI strains recently isolated from commercial poultry in Egypt with a single dose of baculovirus based vaccine. Vaccine 2013;31:5075–81.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 146 affiliates and more than 47,700 employees. The focus of the family-owned company, founded in 1885, is researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

Social responsibility is an important element of the corporate culture at Boehringer Ingelheim. This includes worldwide involvement in social projects, such as the initiative “Making More Health” and caring for the employees. Respect, equal opportunities and reconciling career and family form the foundation of the mutual cooperation. In everything it does, the company focuses on environmental protection and sustainability.

In 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about 13.3 billion euros. R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.9 per cent of its net sales.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com