Vaccination is essential to disease prevention and has been key to protecting animal health. SEQUIVITY represents a technological advance within the company’s existing vaccine portfolio, with a platform that uses genetic sequences for specific antigens found in disease producing pathogens. This allows the creation of vaccines as needed in response to new or progressing diseases.

In an interview with The Pig Site, Joe Roder, DVM, technical services manager, Merck Animal Health, discusses the innovative platform technology which is allowing animal health specialists to create customisable vaccinations. Click here to watch the full interview.

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“By producing herd-specific custom vaccines, the technology enables producers and veterinarians to tackle animal health issues quickly and safely,” says Joe. “Since diseases differ around the world, the technology allows us to diagnose specific disease risks and take a targeted approach to disease control, depending on the exact needs of the country or region.”

In addition to being able to customise vaccines to meet specific threats, the SEQUIVITY platform technology can be used to provide a solution in a short period of time, where traditional vaccines can take years to develop.

How it Works: RNA Particle Technology

Vaccination mimics infection by introducing inactivated whole pathogens (antigens) into the animal to stimulate the immune system. For a conventional vaccine, the antigen is grown in the lab, deactivated or killed and then presented to the body. However, with SEQUIVITY and its revolutionary RNA Particle Technology, an electronic gene sequence is utilised.

After receiving the sequence, it is synthesised into RNA and inserted into the SEQUIVITY platform, which generates RNA particles. When injected in the animal, these particles provide instructions to the immune cells to translate the sequence into proteins which act as antigens.

Then, when challenged with an actual live pathogen, the animal’s immune system recognises the antigen and a targeted immune response is triggered.

To learn more about SEQUIVITY and to find answers to your advanced herd health challenges, click here