MSD Animal Health (known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada) today announced that, following a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP), the European Commission has granted an expanded indication of a marketing authorisation for the veterinary medicinal product PANACUR^® AquaSol (fenbendazole 200 mg/ml) for use in chickens. The addition of a new therapeutic indication to the product’s label in the European Union will combat the intestinal parasite, Capillaria spp. (L5 and adult stages).

PANACUR^® AquaSol is a highly stable, farm-friendly, water-administered, oral suspension product produced with an innovative wet-milling technology. It is currently available in a number of countries around the world.

“At MSD Animal Health, we are committed to providing our customers with our commitment of always producing more for them in the areas of innovation, customer centricity and the knowledge and solutions they need to improve their business,” said Taylor Barbosa, DVM, Ph.D., ACPV, Executive Director, Global Poultry Marketing, MSD Animal Health. “We are pleased with the European Commission’s decision to approve an expanded indication for PANACUR^® AquaSol for chickens. The product has a long history of proven results as a leading dewormer and we are excited to bring this additional indication to chicken farmers throughout the European Union.”

“Managing intestinal health results in better, overall performance for layers, breeders and broilers,” Dr. Barbosa said. “If not managed with proper parasite control, farmers could experience an economic impact when there is a drop in production or a loss due to worm infestation.”

The MSD Animal Health commitment extends to key products in our global poultry portfolio, which include INNOVAX^®-ND-IBD, the first-ever, live vaccine made with biotechnology, which protects against three highly infectious diseases in poultry -- Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), and Marek’s Disease (MD), and EXZOLT^®, a breakthrough prescription product for treatment of Poultry Red Mite infestations.

Approved indications:
PANACUR^® AquaSol is indicated for the treatment of gastro-intestinal nematodes in chickens infected with:

• Ascaridia galli (L5 and adult stages)
• Heterakis gallinarum (L5 and adult stages)
• Capillaria spp. (L5 and adult stages)

Through the company’s proprietary wet-milling technology, PANACUR^® AquaSol is a highly stable suspension which, as a result of smaller more uniform particle size, does not require frequent agitation and provides both a high level of efficacy and convenience. PANACUR^® AquaSol has been proven safe for all types of chickens, including layers, breeders and broilers. It has a zero day withdrawal period for eggs and a six-day withdrawal period for meat and offal for 1mg/kg bodyweight dose (9-day for 2 mg/kg dose).

About MSD Animal Health

For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of MSD.

Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Please see Prescribing Information for PANACUR^® AquaSol (fenbendazole) at [http://www.panacuraquasol.ca/].