MSD Animal Health Receives Positive CVMP Opinion for INNOVAX®-ND-IBD-ILT for Use in Chickens  

RAHWAY, NJ, May 16, 2025 – MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), today announced that the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) issued a positive opinion for the INNOVAX®-ND-IBD-ILT vaccine.  

If approved, this will be the only single-dose vaccine approved in the EU to provide combined protection against diseases caused by Newcastle disease virus, infectious bursal disease virus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, and Marek’s disease virus. The four diseases addressed by INNOVAX-ND-IBD-ILT are amongst the most economically devastating poultry diseases. 

“MSD Animal Health is dedicated to providing innovations that protect broilers, breeders and laying hens from key viral poultry pathogens,” said Maxim Nakhodko, Global Poultry Business Unit Lead at MSD Animal Health. “Today’s positive opinion for the INNOVAX-ND-IBD-ILT vaccine brings us closer to offering a single vaccine that targets four different pathogens using our HVT vector platform technology.” 

INNOVAX-ND-IBD-ILT can be administered in the hatchery to layers and breeder flocks to increase early-life protection, and to broilers, both by subcutaneous injection (at day-old) or in ovo application (around 18 days of incubation). 

Based on the CVMP’s recommendation, the EC is expected to issue a decision for marketing authorization in the European Union (EU) during the third quarter of 2025. 

About MSD Animal Health 

At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of MSD. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. 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 and connect with us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).  

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA 

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. 

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