USDA approves NeoGard for bovine neosporosis

Intervet announces it has received approval from the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) for NeoGard as the first and only vaccine for bovineneosporosis, a disease that costs dairy and beef producers worldwide hundredsof millions of dollars annually. NeoGard is efficacious as an aid in reducingabortions caused by Neospora caninum in pregnant cattle, the company says.In a study submitted to the USDA, there was a statistically significantreduction in abortions between NeoGard-vaccinated heifers and control groupsof heifers that had been challenged with a Neospora caninum preparation.The USDA approval culminates six years of research and development intobovine neosporosis and a Neospora caninum vaccine. As a fully licensed vaccine,NeoGard, which had limited availability on a conditional license since 1998,is now available in all 50 states through veterinary clinics and animalhealth suppliers. "NeoGard is the most significant advancement everin the control of this widespread and costly disease," says Dr. LesChoromanski, Intervet's NeoGard research manager. "Prevention is thebest solution ­ with NeoGard, producers and veterinarians now can preventor lessen the occurence of this disease."

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