Minneapolis, Minn. | June 10, 2004
Advances in canine vaccines took center stage during the 22nd Annual Forum of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine at the Minneapolis Convention Center, as an estimated 3,000 veterinary specialists gathered to discuss revolutionary developments in specialty veterinary care. International vaccine expert Dr. Steve Chu, Ph.D., DVM, presented research about the efficacy of Duramune® Adult, the first and only vaccine supported by three-year challenge data against a trio of deadly diseases; canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper (CDV) and canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV2).
In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted Fort Dodge Animal Health license approval of Duramune® Adult based on Dr. Chu’s challenge studies. Dr. Chu, Senior Vice President of Global Research and Development for Fort Dodge, initiated the studies more than four years ago to determine if the antigens for CPV, CDV and CAV2 protected dogs for three years.
Dr. Chu said, “”Duramune® Adult is an important milestone for the Fort Dodge Animal Health canine product line. First, the company was able to prepare a special vaccine formula to meet this extended re-vaccination interval. Second, Fort Dodge had the proactive attitude in responding to what the veterinary community was pleading for, with sound scientific staff support and fully committed resources to see the completion of such an important project. Duramune® Adult completes a missing link to what has been debated for the past many years.””
The three-year duration of immunity challenge studies were conducted under strictly controlled laboratory conditions to ensure the best possible evaluation of the product. The 40 dogs involved in the studies were isolated during the entire study period to eliminate any possible outside influences on their response to challenge.
Results indicated that three years after vaccination, the antigens of CDV, CAV2 and CPV in Duramune® Adult all demonstrated a high degree of efficacy against virulent challenges of canine distemper virus, infectious canine hepatitis virus (CAV1) and canine parvovirus. The USDA has allowed Fort Dodge to reference this data on the vaccine label and include it on the package insert for Duramune® Adult. The vaccine is particularly well suited as a booster for adult dogs if an extended vaccination interval program is being utilized.
Other vaccine experts call the challenge data good news for veterinarians. “”I reviewed the efficacy data from the challenge study and it certainly looked very promising,”” said Dr. Larry Glickman, a professor of epidemiology at Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “”It does look like the vaccine protects dogs for three years against these three diseases.””
As to whether Duramune® Adult will lead to three-year vaccines for other diseases, Dr. Chu said the answer is unclear. “”Unfortunately, not all pathogens have the same scientific properties,”” said Dr. Chu. “”Pathogens like Leptospirosis, generally speaking, are weaker antigens to induce immunity, so therefore it’s not feasible at this time to come up with a three-year vaccine by anybody. However, Fort Dodge is committed to examining all the scientific findings on an ongoing basis and will apply current and new knowledge to see if the knowledge we have gained on Duramune® Adult may be applied to other vaccines in the future.””
Fort Dodge Animal Health emphasizes twice-a-year wellness exams and appropriate vaccinations remain the gold standard of a sound preventative health program for all animals, based on a thorough assessment of disease risk.
Dr. Chu received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1976 from National Taiwan University and his doctorate in Microbiology in 1984 from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Chu joined the U.S. animal health industry as a research fellow in 1984 and has been with Fort Dodge Animal Health for 17 years. He has developed and registered many innovative products such as West Nile virus vaccines for horses, a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs, and a FIV vaccine for cats. He has also invented several key vaccines, which have been patented.
Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of Wyeth (NYSE:WYE), is a leading manufacturer and distributor of prescription and over-the-counter animal health care products for livestock, companion animal, equine, swine and poultry industries in North America and international markets. Key products include West Nile-InnovatorTM, ProHeart® 6, CYDECTIN® Pour-On, Quest® Gel and EtoGesic® Tablets. The company is headquartered in Overland Park, KS.