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BI Announces Inaugural PCVAD Research Awards --

September 27, 2006 — Kelly Schwalbe

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (September 26, 2006) - Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) announces the recipients of its inaugural research award program directed at porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD). The $75,000 PCVAD Research Awards will fund three research studies designed to improve the industry's understanding and management of this devastating disease complex.

The following 2006 award recipients and their research proposals were recognized at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn.:

  • Darwin. L. Reicks, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minn.; The effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccine on the prevalence of detection in serum, blood swab, and semen in adult boars.
  • Tanja Opriessnig, DVM, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa; Comparison of different PCV2-antibody ELISA assays and detection of PCV2-specific antibodies after vaccination or after infection with distinct PCV2-isolates.
  • Tanja Opriessnig, DVM, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa; Characterization and comparison of the immune response to PCV2 in pigs from different genetic origin.

John Kolb, DVM, technical manager for PCVAD at BIVI, says these new research studies will build upon the rapidly growing scientific knowledge base for PCVAD that currently exists within the swine industry. "We believe that sound practical research is critical in developing effective on-farm solutions to this devastating disease," Kolb explains. "It's important that industry partner with academia, veterinarians and producers and work together to address these challenges."

Numerous PCVAD research proposals were submitted by graduate students, researchers and practicing veterinarians and reviewed by an independent Research Review Board comprised of Drs. Tom Gillespie, Rensselaer Swine Services and chair of the AASV PCVAD Committee; Kent Schwartz, Iowa State University; Laura Batista, University of Montreal; and Jerry Torrison, University of Minnesota. The proposals were selected based on established criteria: potential for economic impact to the swine industry; originality and scientific quality; and probability of success in completing the one-year study.

Funding of independent research is part of BIVI's commitment to help the swine industry find a cure for PCVAD, as well as porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS), which are awarded annually in March. More information on the PCVAD Research Awards can be found at http://www.PCVADresearch.com.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (St. Joseph, Mo.), is a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation based in Ridgefield, Conn., and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 143 affiliates in 47 countries and nearly 37,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2005, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $11.8 billion (9.5 billion euro) while spending nearly one-fifth of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information, please visit http://www.bi-vetmedica.com.

For more information, Contact Kelly Schwalbe at 816-474-3166