In January 2017, with the acquisition of Merial, Boehringer Ingelheim further strengthened its position as a global leader in animal health. The three companies involved in the Meili Omni-Honesty project all bring unique expertise to help fight foot-and-mouth disease in China. Boehringer Ingelheim is the world’s leader in Veterinary Public Health, with state-of-the-art technology for vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease. ZNWT is approved by the Ministry of Agriculture to produce the full set of vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease. KMOH has extensive market channels across the country, as well as rich marketing experience.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly infectious disease that currently threatens and hinders the development of the Chinese livestock industry. It poses a big threat to the health of cloven-hoofed animals such as pigs, cattle and sheep. China National Foot and Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory under Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute is the authorized agency to identify and confirm foot-and-mouth disease. Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute is also an authorized research institute in China to develop vaccines against foot-and-mouth virus.
“ZNWT is relying on Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute for technical support and is playing a leading role in prevention and control of animal diseases in China,” said Zhang Yunde, Chairman and General Manager of ZNWT. He concluded that the collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim and KMOH will lead to unprecedented advance and breakthrough in disease prevention and control, vaccine technology and market growth. The new joint venture will tap into advantages and cooperation of the three companies to shape the swine vaccine market for foot-and-mouth disease in China.
“Foot-and-mouth disease in swine is an epidemic that has a significant impact on animal husbandry and food safety. It is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. The market is in urgent need of vaccines featuring the world’s top-level technology,” said Yuan Ximin, Chairman of Shaanxi Meili Omni-Honesty Animal Health Co., Ltd. “I believe this project will drive transformation and upgrading of China’s animal vaccine industry, and it will also help improve economic benefits for Chinese farmers.” Yuan also shared that the Airport New City in Xi’an was chosen for the Meili Omni-Honesty project because of its policy and location advantages. The Shaanxi Pilot Free Trade Zone was formally approved in 2017, bringing new opportunities for the Airport New City. This is the only free trade zone approved in northwest China, and the core area to lead Xi’an growth. The Meili Omni-Honesty project will promote development of the bio-pharmaceutical industry chain at the Airport New City and attract more healthcare players to settle there.
Please click on the link for ‘Notes to Editors’ and ‘References’: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/joint-venture-targeting-foot-and-mouth-disease-china
