Merial and SVC Inc. (President Yun In-Jung), have concluded a contract for Merial’s supplying bulk vaccine and transferring technology for producing foot and mouth disease vaccine in Korea.

The consortium is a major step in preventing a recurrence of foot and mouth disease that spread across Korea in late 2010, and for minimizing socio-economic damages caused by the disease. It is also the first international collaboration on private level for stable supply of vaccine in Korea. Early in 2011, the Korean government formed the task force team to develop a plan for producing foot and mouth disease vaccine for Korea. The task force comprised officials from the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry (formally named the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), the Inspection Agency of Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine, and external specialists. In July 2011, the Korean Veterinary Medical Association and 5 animal vaccine manufacturers in Korea formed a consortium named SVC, Inc.

Under the contract, the components of foot and mouth disease vaccine, such as antigen and excipients, will be imported from Merial to Korea in the form of bulk vaccine. Five animal vaccine manufacturers will then produce foot and mouth disease vaccine to be supplied to farms, using their own manufacturing facilities. Merial’s veterinary public health (VPH) unit will take charge of technological counseling and quality verification of vaccine samples produced in Korea.

Philippe Dubourget, director of FMD Operations at Merial’s VPH unit, who visited Korea to attend the contract signing ceremony said, “I believe the excellence of Merial’s foot and mouth disease
vaccine, their experience in production of vaccine, and our knowledge of Korea-type foot and mouth disease have led to this agreement.”

Sacha Seneque, Head Marketing Large Animal & VPH Asia added, "Our experience in Korea stems from our 10 years of maintaining the foot and mouth antigen bank in Korea. Merial will actively cooperate to build an environment where foot and mouth disease is effectively controlled."

President Yun In-jung of SVC Inc. said, "Korea was able to control the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease at its early stages when it broke out in 2000 and 2010 because Merial showed high dedication in supplying effective vaccines for Korea-type to us swiftly at that time. We will now meet the demands of livestock breeders to eventually build a ‘foot and mouth disease-free country’ by accumulating advanced technologies and providing a stable supply of vaccines."

The contract signing ceremony, which was held at the auditorium of Korean Veterinary Medical Association building in Seongnam City, was attended by President Yun In-jung of SVC Inc., Philippe Dubourget, director of FMD Operations at Merial’s VPH unit, Sacha Seneque, Head Marketing Large Animal & VPH Asia and GM Kim Jong-young of Merial Korea. Foot and mouth disease vaccine produced in Korea is expected to be supplied to livestock breeders in April this year.

Korea is expected to use 35 million ~ 40 million doses of foot and mouth vaccine annually.