MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, one of the world leaders in animal vaccines, today announced a partnership agreement with Vinovo B.V., a division of the leading hatchery automation company, Viscon Hatchery Automation.

This year’s VIV Europe World Expo, held in Utrecht, Netherlands, focused on new technologies for smart food production – applying advanced and innovative methods, like those highlighted through this partnership, to improve efficiency, quality and sustainability.

This synergistic partnership, which was announced during a signing ceremony at the VIV Europe World Expo, will bring together MSD Animal Health’s unique broad vaccine product line and Vinovo’s novel vaccine delivery system to provide a new standard in safe and effective in ovo vaccination, thereby improving bird welfare, reducing vaccine reactions and providing greater protection for the chickens.

“This is a true partnership, bringing together our broad vaccine portfolio which protects poultry against highly infectious diseases with Vinovo’s top-of-the-line novel delivery system technology to help poultry growers around the world,” said Taylor Barbosa, DVM, Ph.D., ACPV, Executive Director, Global Poultry Marketing, MSD Animal Health. “At MSD Animal Health, we strive for scientific innovations that safeguard the health and welfare of poultry and work in close collaboration with our customers to deliver the information, technologies and veterinary services to meet their needs around the world. Through this partnership, we will provide the next generation of safe in ovo vaccination for better protected and healthier birds, living up to our commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™.”

“We are proud and excited that MSD Animal Health, being an industry leading, vaccine company, selected us as their strategic partner for in ovo equipment,” said Bas Smaal, General Manager, Viscon Hatchery Automation. “This will accelerate our in ovo business and worldwide presence in sales and services, which will be beneficial for our existing and future customers. We have specialised in hatchery automation for more than 25 years, and this partnership supports our main drive to create competitive advantages and continuity for our clients through efficient, reliable, cost-effective and future proof automation solutions that can grow and change with their organisation.”

In ovo vaccination is a proven method for the application of various vaccines in a hatchery. Vinovo takes in ovo to a new level through the integration of a set of innovative machines. These machines detect and separate non-viable embryos, vaccinates live embryos and transfers the vaccinated viable eggs to the hatchery. Together, this technology provides the process and technique to work toward better protected and healthier birds: delivering vaccines accurately to a precise location within the egg; removing non-viable eggs – which can hold pathogenic bacteria – to ensure the highest possible level of hygiene; and saving more vaccine through accurate delivery to only viable eggs.

MSD Animal Health is the largest poultry vaccine manufacturer worldwide, with a broad product line against most major pathogens and a focus on diseases affecting broilers, breeders and layers. With a robust R&D pipeline spanning key disease areas, the company aims to advance vaccine and pharmeutical scientific innovations in veterinary medicine in poultry as well as in other species areas.

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, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, 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.

About Viscon Hatchery Automation

Beginning in the 1990’s, Viscon Hatchery Automation has grown and developed with the industry and today stands as one of the market leaders in intelligent automation solutions for broiler, layer and breeder hatcheries worldwide. While building on expertise with research, continual innovation and a pragmatic approach, each project undertaken whether it be standalone machinery, modifying an existing hatchery or helping to build some of the world’s largest hatcheries, has allowed Viscon to become a specialist in the field.

With a flexible approach, Viscon can adapt each and every component of its hatchery automation processes to any incubator brand and configuration found on the market today. While it is still relevant today, automation has become more than just a way to reduce costs or improve on operational efficiencies. By promoting the ability to perform in-house manufacturing, a fully customisable and transparent experience is achieved with every stage from inquiry to after sales service.

Viscon has diversified its automation capabilities to be able to offer you more. Topics like health, hygiene, disease prevention and traceability are just mere examples of what our automation can help achieve. For in ovo vaccination Viscon has developed a new line of machines. This product line carries the brand Vinovo and offers hatcheries a bio-secure and accurate solution for in ovo vaccination that will improve health and welfare of chicks, starting from the earliest stage in the hatchery.

For more information, visit www.visconhatcheryautomation.com or www.vinovo.nl