European Commission Approves MSD Animal Health’s NOBIVAC NXT HCPChFeLV for Cats

The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for MSD Animal Health’s new feline combination vaccine, NOBIVAC NXT HCPChFeLV, expanding vaccination options for veterinarians across the European Union with protection against five major infectious diseases.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for NOBIVAC NXT HCPChFeLV, a new feline combination vaccine developed by MSD Animal Health. The approval allows the vaccine to be marketed across all European Union member states following a positive scientific opinion issued earlier this year by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP).

The vaccine is indicated for the active immunization of cats against five infectious pathogens: feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV), Chlamydia felis, and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). These diseases are among the most common infectious threats affecting domestic cats and can result in respiratory disease, gastrointestinal illness, ocular infections, immune suppression, and, in some cases, increased mortality.

According to MSD Animal Health, NOBIVAC NXT HCPChFeLV combines modified live antigens with self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) particle technology to stimulate an immune response. The company states that the vaccine is adjuvant-free and preservative-free, delivered in a 0.5 mL dose, with immunity beginning one week after vaccination. Depending on the disease component, protection lasts up to three years following the recommended vaccination schedule.

The European Medicines Agency noted that the vaccine demonstrated adequate immune responses and favourable safety and efficacy in studies supporting its authorization. It also highlighted that this is the first veterinary vaccine authorized in the European Union to incorporate self-amplifying RNA technology. Commonly reported side effects include temporary swelling at the injection site and a mild increase in body temperature.

The approval expands the range of feline vaccines available to European veterinarians and introduces a new vaccine platform into the veterinary market.

Image Source: MSD Animal Health