MSD Animal Health Announces Sponsorship of European Association of Fish Pathologists Biannual Meeting
Company Highlights Commitment to European Aquaculture
BOXMEER, NETHERLANDS, 5 September 2013 — MSD Animal Health (known as Merck Animal Health in the USA and Canada) announced today the company is proud to support this year’s European Association of Fish Pathologists (EAFP) 16th International Conference on Diseases of Fish and Shellfish in Tampere, Finland 2-6 September 2013. The biannual meeting draws international participation of key industry and academic leaders to promote the latest advancements in research related to fish and shellfish pathology.
“Keeping fish free of disease is not only important to the health of the fish, but to the health of the economic impact of the aquaculture industry in Europe,” stated Robin Wardle, Aquaculture Strategic Marketing Director, MSD Animal Health. “This meeting represents one of the best opportunities to share in the ever-growing body of science and research related to aquatic pathology from one of the most advanced aquaculture industries in the world.”
In addition to the company sponsorship, MSD Animal Health will also support a scientific session on Flavobacterium psychrophilum, a systemic disease affecting small salmon and trout in waters around the world. F. psychrophilum is currently one of the most devastating fish pathogens in the world, with the potential to affect significant economic hardship on global salmon and trout production.
Aquaculture continues to be an important industry for Europe with a steady increase over the past five years. According to the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, in 2012, European Aquaculture was responsible for more than 2.2 million tonnes of production. This represents an increase of 1.8 million tonnes since 2008.
“We have been a proud supporter of the European Association of Fish Pathologists since the organization was formed 30 years ago to promote the exchange of data and knowledge of research throughout the industry,” says Wardle. “We are happy to continue our support with this year’s meeting.”
For more information about the 16th International Conference on Diseases of Fish and Shellfish, visit www.eafp2013.fi. For more information about MSD Animal Health’s aquaculture business, visit http://aqua.merck-animal-health.com.
About MSD Animal Health
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. MSD Animal Health, known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. 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.merck-animal-health.com.
Merck forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).