On 19th October last, HIPRA launched the new VEPURED® vaccine against edema disease. The event, which took place in Germany, was attended by over 200 specialist veterinarians from Europe and Russia.

Under the theme of “What is behind our vaccines?”, those present were able to find out about the different phases of development of VEPURED® from the HIPRA R+D team.

VEPURED® is the only vaccine on the market indicated for administration from the second day of life and designed to prevent mortality and reduce losses in average daily weight gain associated with VT2e infection.

During the event, audiovisual facilities were used to present the vaccine purification process by means of which a purified antigen is obtained which, combined with a double adjuvant (aluminium hydroxide and DEAE), goes to make VEPURED®, the perfect antigen-adjuvant combination. This combination generates a rapid and lasting immune response that persists until the end of the fattening phase.

The safety of VEPURED® vaccine has been demonstrated in 2-day old piglets both in experimental tests and in the field, whilst the efficacy of VEPURED® is evident from the increase in weight and average daily gain as well as in the reduction in clinical signs and mortality.

VeroCheck, a new diagnostic tool developed by HIPRA to confirm and monitor edema disease on the farm by sampling oral fluids, was also presented.

With the launch of VEPURED®, HIPRA provides a new tool for prevention that is essential at a time when the European swine industry is facing the disappearance of zinc oxide and the reduction of antibiotic use. It is in this context that edema disease can be seen as a re-emerging disease and VEPURED® as the instrument of choice to tackle it.