Merck Animal Health Receives Marketing Authorization from European Commission for PANACUR® AquaSol for Chickens

Highly Effective Deworming Treatment for New Species  

SUMMIT, N.J., 24 March 2014 – Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) today announced that, following a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP), the European Commission has granted the marketing authorization for the veterinary medicinal product PANACUR® AquaSol (fenbendazole 200 mg/mL) for use in chickens.

PANACUR® AquaSol is a highly stable, farm-friendly, water-administered suspension product produced with an innovative wet-milling technology. It is currently available in the EEA for use in swine.

“We are very pleased that the European Commission has approved PANACUR® AquaSol for chickens,” stated Fabio Paganini, Associate Vice President, Merck Animal Health. “PANACUR® has a long history of proven results as a leading dewormer and we are excited to bring this option for convenient water administration to chicken farmers throughout the EEA.”

Approved indication:
PANACUR® AquaSol will be indicated for the treatment of gastro-intestinal nematodes in chickens infected with:

  • Ascaridia galli (L5 and adult stages)
  • Heterakis gallinarum (L5 and adult stages)

Through the company’s proprietary wet-milling technology, PANACUR® AquaSol is a highly stable suspension which, as a result of smaller more uniform particle size, does not require frequent agitation and provides both a high level of efficacy and convenience.

PANACUR® AquaSol has been proven safe for all types of chickens, including layers, broilers and breeders. It has a zero day withdrawal period for eggs and a six day withdrawal period for meat and offal.

“Managing intestinal health properly results in better, overall performance for layers, broilers and breeders alike,” explains Rik Koopman, Director, Scientific Affairs, Merck Animal Health. “If not managed with proper parasite control, farmers could experience an economic impact when there is a drop in production or a loss due to worm infestation.”

For more information about PANACUR® AquaSol for chickens, contact your Merck Animal Health sales representative.

About Merck Animal Health
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck 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. Merck 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 2013 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).