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A New Jersey-based pharmaceutical firm has achieved a conditional license for its innovative bird flu vaccine aimed at protecting chickens from avian influenza.
The vaccine, created by Zoetis, specifically addresses the H5N2 subtype of avian influenza, which poses risks to both poultry and human health, as confirmed in a recent press release from the company.
The grant of this license was facilitated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics, as reported by the company.
Impact of Avian Influenza in the U.S.
Since February 2022, over 150 million birds across the United States have been impacted by a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, according to data from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
“Following the identification of a new strain of HPAI in the U.S. in early 2022, our team of scientists quickly began working on advancing our previous avian influenza vaccine,” explained Mahesh Kumar, Ph.D., senior vice president for global biologics research and development at Zoetis, in the press release.
Developing bird flu vaccines is not new for the company; they initiated efforts in 2001 and 2002 during outbreaks in Southeast Asia.
Historic Licensing and Future Plans
In 2016, Zoetis was granted a conditional license for its H5N1 vaccine, which was instrumental in protecting California condors.
When approached for comments, a representative from Zoetis confirmed that the vaccine is not currently available for commercial distribution. The spokesperson stated,
