MSD Animal Health Receives Approval for PORCILIS® Lawsonia ID

MSD Animal Health Receives Approval for PORCILIS® Lawsonia ID

European authorities have recommended the granting of a marketing authorisation for PORCILIS® Lawsonia ID, an intradermal vaccine against Lawsonia intracellularis for piglets. Following this positive outcome of the decentralised procedure, national registrations in the UK and Ireland have now been finalised.

With a duration of immunity for 21 weeks, Lawsonia ID provides long-lasting protection against Lawsonia intracellularis infection, a common gastrointestinal problem in global swine production that has a significant impact on pigs’ growth and development.

Lawsonia ID is indicated for the active immunisation of pigs from three weeks of age to reduce: diarrhoea, loss of daily weight gain, intestinal lesions and bacterial shedding caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection. Lawsonia ID is also approved for mixing with PORCILIS® PCV ID, providing the opportunity for protection against two major diseases affecting pigs in a single intradermal vaccination: Lawsonia intracellularis and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2).

The efficacy of PORCILIS® Lawsonia ID has been demonstrated using IDAL® 3G Twin, MSD Animal Health’s needle-free injection device for intradermal application of vaccines. The benefits of needle-free administration include less stress and pain for the piglets and reduced risk of infection transmission through a needle; for producers, needle-free vaccines require fewer resources, eliminate the risk of needle breakage and allow for a near-to-impossible likelihood of accidental needlestick injuries.

Lawsonia intracellularis is a bacterium that causes ileitis, a gastrointestinal disease also known as porcine proliferative enteropathy, that is highly prevalent on European farms. In vaccination-challenge trials, Lawsonia ID – administered as a standalone vaccine or in combination with PCV ID – induced significant protection against infection, improving key production parameters such as weight gain and reduction of bacterial shedding and ileum lesion scores when compared to control animals. Lawsonia ID is also efficacious in mitigating 2

 Lawsonia-associated mortality, as confirmed by results from a field trial on a farm with a history of recurrent acute ileitis.

Thomas Gallagher, Swine Business Unit Director at MSD Animal Health Ireland explains, “Following the successful launch of the PORCILIS® Lawsonia intramuscular vaccine last year, we’re delighted to welcome this new addition to our portfolio. Vets and farmers in Ireland have embraced needle-free vaccination. 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of IDAL and what better way to celebrate than with this innovative product.”