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Fostera™ PCV MH — the first and only one-bottle, one-dose combination vaccine that helps protect swine from porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD) and enzootic pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo) — is now available from Zoetis. With its one-dose or two-dose protocol, the innovative formulation of Fostera PCV MH offers convenience and flexibility to swine managers.
“Respiratory disease from M. hyo and PCVAD from porcine circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) can be devastating to swine herds through reduced growth rate, poor feed efficiency and extended time to market,” said Richard Swalla, DVM, Pork Technical Services, Zoetis. “That’s why we let science lead the way in developing an effective and safe vaccine all in one convenient bottle. It also gives veterinarians and producers a vaccine they can be confident in along with the flexibility that best fits their existing vaccination protocols.”
In clinical research studies of the one- and two-dose protocols, Fostera PCV MH has been demonstrated to aid in preventing viremia, lymphoid depletion and colonization of lymphoid tissue caused by PCV2; and as an aid in reducing PCV2 virus shedding and enzootic pneumonia caused by M. hyo.1-4 In a real-world, dual-challenge study, Fostera PCV MH helped demonstrate effective control of PCVAD and helped reduce PCV2 viremia in vaccinated pigs, allowing those pigs to sustain favorable growth.5 Pigs vaccinated with Fostera PCV MH exhibited improved average daily gain (ADG) up to 4.5% (tracked from processing to market) compared with the control group.
Convenience and flexibility in one bottle
While other combination vaccines require two doses or field mixing, the unique one-bottle formulation of Fostera PCV MH allows the convenience of a one-dose protocol or the flexibility of a two-dose protocol. For healthy pigs 3 weeks of age or older, Fostera PCV MH is licensed for administration in either of two ways:
- A single 2 mL intramuscular (IM) dose
- Two 1 mL IM doses spaced two weeks apart
“During development, we addressed multiple technical issues, such as the need for field mixing or requiring two doses, that can impact safety, efficacy and ease of use,” explained Darrell Neuberger, DVM, Pork Technical Services, Zoetis. “The primary problem we faced involved a compatibility issue when the M. hyo and PCV components were mixed together.”
Built from the ground up
When the M. hyo component is grown, it likely contains PCV antibodies, which can affect the potency of the PCV fraction when the two fractions are combined. To help solve the incompatibility problem, Zoetis looked to a technique used successfully in human medicine called Protein A chromatography, which is used to purify antibodies for human medicines. To develop Fostera PCV MH, scientists used Protein A chromatography to help remove the PCV antibodies from the vaccine’s M. hyo fraction.
“To create Fostera PCV MH, we used Protein A in a manner similar to a sponge to bind to the PCV antibodies and remove them from the rest of the M. hyo component,” Dr. Neuberger said. “With this M. hyo fraction, we can now produce a one-bottle combination vaccine that gives producers and veterinarians the convenience, efficacy and safety they need to help protect pig health.”
Fostera PCV MH is available in 50- and 250-dose vials and can be purchased through your veterinarian or animal health retailer. For more information on Fostera PCV MH, visit zoetisus.com/FosteraPCVMH or visit with your veterinarian or local Zoetis representative.
November 13, 2013 - Zoetis
