MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Company, Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, officially marked a milestone in the continued expansion activities of its manufacturing, packaging and warehousing facility for blending and filling of poultry vaccines at its Milton Keynes site with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The site is part of a manufacturing network that supports the company’s global leadership position in the Animal Health market. Today’s announcement signifies ongoing expansion of the company’s manufacturing capacity and capabilities to support increased global demand for its products.

“We are pleased about the opportunity to bring capital improvements, expansion in our manufacturing capacity and capabilities, and advanced technology to our Milton Keynes facility, thereby increasing our ability to fulfill customer demand for our portfolio of animal health products,” said Mark Van Duyvenbode, Site Director, MSD Animal Health. “As a leader in delivering innovative pharmaceuticals and vaccines to advance animal health and meet growing customer needs, this investment in people, technology and equipment reflects our commitment to produce a range of vaccines and pharmaceuticals for animal health diseases.”

Vaccines play an important role in protecting animal and public health. Timely and effective vaccination reduces the incidence and severity of disease, enabling efficient production of food animals. Vaccines also have had a significant impact on the health of pets, preventing serious illnesses and helping them live longer and healthier lives.

“MSD Animal Health offers an innovative portfolio to prevent, treat and control diseases across all major Companion Animal and Livestock segments,” said Jan Moehlenbrock, Associate Vice President and Managing Director, MSD Animal Health United Kingdom. “That means we need to ensure our place as a leader in animal health with a substantial and sustainable position, which includes investment and expansion in our key facilities to serve our customers and, thereby, strengthening our value in the United Kingdom.”

MSD Animal Health continues to invest in expanding its manufacturing facilities with a recent acquisition of a large-scale, production facility with product formulation and filling capabilities in Krems, Austria; an existing facility for production of poultry vaccines using SPHEREON® technology in Salamanca, Spain; and a recently announced construction phase of a state-of-the-art facility in Boxmeer, The Netherlands, for sterile fillng and freeze drying of vaccines. Additionally, Boxmeer is one of the company’s centers for the development and production of veterinary vaccines, including other production and research facilities in Boxmeer and De Bilt.

MSD Animal Health is one of the the largest poultry vaccine manufacturers worldwide, with products against most major pathogens and a focus on diseases affecting broilers, breeders and layers.
The health and well-being of animals is the first and foremost priority of MSD Animal Health. The company strongly supports the responsible use of enhanced vaccine and pharmaceutical production platforms to improve and maintain the health of animals, as well as discovery of new tools to prevent, treat, and in some cases, even eradicate diseases.