Zoetis Receives European Commission Marketing Authorization for Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND

Zoetis Inc. recently announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND, a recombinant vector vaccine for the protection of chickens against Newcastle disease (ND) and Marek’s disease viruses.

The vaccine can be administered either in ovo or by subcutaneous injection at hatch, providing protection against both diseases with a single dose.

Newcastle disease is a notifiable disease under EU animal health regulations and a significant cause of mortality and production losses in commercial poultry, as evidenced by recent confirmed outbreaks across Germany, Spain and Poland. Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND uses the herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) as its vector – an avirulent virus capable of replicating in chickens that has been used as a vaccine vector in poultry for about two decades. The vaccine virus expresses a Newcastle disease virus antigen, stimulating immunity against ND while simultaneously providing protection against Marek’s disease.

“With the European Commission’s marketing authorization of Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND, we are pleased to provide poultry producers across the EU with an additional vaccine option to help prevent Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease in chicken flocks,” said Kevin Esch, D.V.M., M.P.H. Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, Executive Vice President and President, Research and Development at Zoetis. “In addition, the EU approval is significant because it unlocks export opportunities for poultry producers in southeast Asian countries, where the vaccine is already approved. Our HVT vector platform has a well-established, global record in poultry vaccination, and we look forward to supporting poultry producers in Europe, as well as southeast Asia, with this addition to the Procerta portfolio.”

Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND joins two other vaccines in the Poulvac Procerta range that have received European Commission marketing authorization. Poulvac Procerta HVT-IBD, the first in the range to receive this authorization, protects against infectious bursal disease and Marek’s disease. Poulvac Procerta HVT-IBD-ND, authorized in 2025, protects against Newcastle disease, infectious bursal disease, and Marek’s disease in a single dose.

“Recent outbreaks of Newcastle disease across several European countries, including Germany, Spain and Poland, serve as a reminder of the ongoing threat this disease poses to poultry health in the region,” said Julia von Gablenz, Regional President, Europe and Middle East at Zoetis. “The marketing authorization of Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND comes at a relevant time, and we look forward to working with veterinarians and producers to support its use as part of their flock health programs.”