MSD stocks the medicine cabinet as $1.3bn Elanco acquisition is completed
Deal adds another in-feed lice treatment and DNA vaccine Clynav to company's portfolio
MSD Animal Health has announced the completion of its acquisition of the aquaculture business of Elanco Animal Health Incorporated. MSD Animal Health, owned by US pharmaceutical heavyweight MSD (known as Merck & Co., Inc, in the US and Canada) said the completion bolsters its position in the aqua industry with a comprehensive approach to promote fish health, welfare and sustainability in aquaculture, conservation, and fisheries.
“With the completion of this acquisition, we are well positioned within the aquaculture industry with a robust and comprehensive portfolio across warm water, cold water, vaccines, anti-parasitic treatments, water supplements and nutrition,” said Rick DeLuca, president of MSD Animal Health.
“We are excited to welcome our new colleagues to MSD Animal Health and we look forward to working together, driven by our common purpose of the science of healthier animals.”
Clynav and Imvixa
As a result of the acquisition, MSD Animal Health now owns products such as Clynav, a new generation DNA-based vaccine that protects Atlantic salmon against pancreas disease, and Imvixa, an in-feed sea lice treatment with the active ingredient lufenuron, which inhibits the production of chitin and thereby interferes in the development of the louse’s exoskeleton.
MSD also sells the in-feed anti-lice treatment Slice, which has the active ingredient emamectin benzoate.
The acquisition of Elanco Animal Health also adds water treatment products for warm water production to MSD’s product list, complementing its vaccine portfolio.
Green light in Chile
Yesterday, Fish Farming Expert’s Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl, reported that MSD Animal Health had been given permission by the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (FNE) to buy Elanco’s assets in Chile as part of the US $1.3 billion acquisition.
The go-ahead was given after the FNE had analysed the possible competition effects on three products from each company: vaccines for the prevention of salmon rickettsial septicaemia (Aquavac Saristin 2 from MSD and Renogen from Elanco); vaccines for the prevention of IPNV (Aquavac Saristin 2 from MSD and Pentium Forte Plus ILA from Elanco), and in-feed treatments used for the treatment of Caligus (Slice from MSD and Imvixa from Elanco).
