The acquisition of Fort Dodge Animal Health by Pfizer in 2009 makes the company one of the major players in the global poultry health market. IPE will be the first opportunity for the company to unveil its new and greatly expanded range of products for the poultry trade.

Dr Kirk Adams, group director of global marketing, new business and strategic planning for Pfizer Poultry Health, said: "This is an exciting time for us.

"The portfolios of the two companies fit together extremely well, so we have been able to expand our portfolio without having to divest any major products. IPE is our first opportunity to showcase our full range of products and services and to show the commitment we have to the poultry industry."

By the time the acquisition was announced in the second half of 2009, both Pfizer Poultry Health and Fort Dodge Animal Health had already booked their places at IPE. As a result, Pfizer Poultry Health will now have two booths at the expo (1749 in Hall A and 3917 in Hall B).

Prior to the acquisition, Pfizer Poultry Health was known as a leader in the field of in ovo vaccination technology thanks to its development of the Embrex® Inovoject® System. The addition of the Fort Dodge Animal Health products means that the company can now also offer nearly 90 different vaccines, including well-known brands such as Poulvac®.

However, according to Dr Adams, the expanded product range is only one part of the new offering.

He said: Not only do we have many more products, but we also have many talented and knowledgeable colleagues to support them. Our aim is to leverage our global expertise and make it available locally to individual customers. By doing that, we can add value to our customers' businesses that goes way beyond the provision of products."

The company is also planning to increase its research and development spend and to expand some of its regional offices to give it greater international presence.

Dr Adams added: "IPE is an international event, so what better place to unveil a truly international company. Poultry is now a global industry and we cannot afford to ignore what is happening in other markets. What we can do is bring that global experience to every producer's door, no matter where that might be."

IPE runs from 27 to 29 January at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta.

The merger of local Wyeth (Fort Dodge Animal Health) and Pfizer entities may be pending in various jurisdictions and is subject to completion of various local legal and regulatory obligations. Accordingly, changes will not become effective outside of the US and Puerto Rico until the relevant in-country Go-Live date. Until that time, Pfizer and Wyeth must continue to operate as two separate companies. All content in this message is subject to works council and/or union consultations and other legal requirements.