To stay ahead on porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD) management, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) announced the launch of the industry’s first porcine circovirus Type 2d-based baculovirus vector vaccine. The new vaccine, d-FENSE, demonstrates efficacy and robustness under severe PCVAD conditions.
PCV2d, first identified in 2012, is the predominant genotype circulating in the U.S., accounting for more than 90% of PCV2 infections.
An extensive body of research has demonstrated that Ingelvac CircoFLEX, a PCV2a-based vaccine, can provide heterologous cross-protection against PCV2d.1,4¬–7 In most cases, producers can rely on this trusted vaccine to protect their herds from the harmful effects of PCVAD, the company said in a release. But in some incidences, some pigs within vaccinated herds will still present clinical signs of PCVAD and require a different approach.
BI’s newest product, d-FENSE, is specifically designed to help swine herds that are struggling with severe PCVAD presentations.
“When severe PCV2d infections linger in the ‘corners of the room’ among vaccinated populations, producers need flexible options to address this and provide their herds with complete protection,” Eduardo Fano, BI’s technical manager for PCV2 and Mycoplasma products, said in a release. “d-FENSE offers the industry’s first solution specific to the PCV2d strain and provides producers and veterinarians another tool in their PCVAD management toolbox.”
The company said d-FENSE is a single-dose PCV2 vaccine, used for the vaccination of healthy, susceptible pigs 3 weeks of age or older as an aid in the prevention of lymphoid depletion, inflammation and colonization of lymphoid tissue, and as an aid in reduction of the magnitude of viremia associated with PCV2. The vaccine uses the proprietary ImpranFLEX® adjuvant, an aqueous-based (non-oil) polymer adjuvant that improves the immune response within pig, to deliver faster, longer-lasting disease protection, according to the release.
The vaccine’s efficacy was demonstrated in a vaccination-challenge study that compared pigs separated into three groups: non-vaccinated controls, pigs receiving INGELVAC CIRCOFLEX, a PCV2a-based vaccine, and pigs receiving d-FENSE, a PCV2d-based vaccine.
In the study, which replicated worst-case PCVAD field conditions, pigs vaccinated with d-FENSE and INGELVAC CIRCOFLEX both demonstrated a significant reduction in lymphoid lesion severity and viral replication compared to non-vaccinated pigs. In terms of robustness, the d-FENSE group demonstrated improvement in pathology and virology parameters under a severe disease challenge. In the same study, which involved both viral and bacterial challenges, pigs vaccinated with d-FENSE required fewer treatments in the acute phase of PCVAD, BI said.
“Dynamic problems require dynamic solutions,” John Waddell, director, key account veterinarians, swine at BI, said in a release. “PCV2 isn’t standing pat, so neither should our approach to controlling it. With d-FENSE, Boehringer Ingelheim is helping producers tackle this complex disease with confidence.”
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