Zoetis wins EU authorization for Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND
Bottom line
Zoetis said the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND, a live recombinant HVT vector vaccine for chickens that protects against both Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease. The vaccine is indicated for one-day-old chickens and 18- to 19-day-old embryonated eggs, and can be given in ovo or by subcutaneous injection at hatch. Zoetis said the product is already approved in more than 35 other markets, and the EU authorization adds it to the company’s growing Procerta poultry vaccine portfolio. (news.zoetis.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals working with poultry operations, the approval lands at a notable moment. Newcastle disease remains a notifiable disease under EU animal health rules, and Zoetis tied the launch to recent outbreaks in Germany, Spain, and Poland. European regulatory records also show the Commission has issued outbreak-related emergency measures for Poland, underscoring the disease pressure behind demand for additional vaccine tools. The product’s dual protection against Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease, plus in ovo and hatchery-use options, could make it relevant for flock health planning, vaccination logistics, and export-minded production systems. (news.zoetis.com)
What to watch: Watch for rollout timing across EU markets, field uptake by integrated poultry systems, and whether Zoetis shares more commercial or post-launch performance data in Europe. (news.zoetis.com)
Zoetis has won European Commission marketing authorization for Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND, giving poultry producers in the EU access to another vaccine option against Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease. The company said the live recombinant herpesvirus of turkey, or HVT, vector vaccine is intended for one-day-old chickens and 18- to 19-day-old embryonated eggs, with administration either in ovo or by subcutaneous injection at hatch. (news.zoetis.com)
The authorization builds on Zoetis’ broader Procerta strategy in poultry. In its announcement, the company said Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND joins two other products in the line that already have European Commission authorization: Poulvac Procerta HVT-IBD and Poulvac Procerta HVT-IBD-ND. EU regulatory records show the trivalent HVT-IBD-ND product received marketing authorization on January 23, 2025, with Zoetis Belgium listed as the marketing authorization holder and the product authorized across EU and EEA markets, as well as Northern Ireland. (news.zoetis.com)
The timing matters because Newcastle disease has re-emerged as a practical and regulatory concern in parts of Europe. Zoetis pointed directly to recent outbreaks in Germany, Spain, and Poland. Public animal health sources support that framing: the UK government has continued publishing preliminary outbreak assessments for Newcastle disease in Europe through spring 2026, while Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut said that after 30 years without outbreaks, multiple cases were detected in commercial poultry holdings in Brandenburg and Bavaria in February 2026. The institute also urged poultry keepers to review mandatory vaccination and biosecurity measures. (news.zoetis.com)
On product specifics, Zoetis said Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND uses HVT as a vaccine vector and is designed to express a Newcastle disease virus antigen while also protecting against Marek’s disease. On its product page, the company says the vaccine demonstrated 93% Newcastle disease protection at 19 days of age in a study. Zoetis also said the vaccine is already approved in more than 35 markets outside the EU, suggesting this was less a first launch than a geographic expansion into a tightly regulated poultry market. (news.zoetis.com)
Company executives framed the authorization as both a disease-control and market-access development. Kevin Esch, executive vice president and president of research and development at Zoetis, said the approval gives EU poultry producers an additional option to help prevent Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease, and added that the authorization could unlock export opportunities for poultry producers in Southeast Asian countries where the vaccine is already approved. Julia von Gablenz, Zoetis’ regional president for Europe and the Middle East, said the decision comes at a relevant time given outbreaks in several European countries. Those comments are from the company, not independent analysts, but they highlight how Zoetis is positioning the product commercially and strategically. (news.zoetis.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals serving commercial poultry systems, this is less about a single product launch and more about toolbox expansion during a period of renewed Newcastle disease pressure. A vaccine that can be delivered in ovo or at hatch fits established hatchery workflows, and dual Newcastle-Marek’s coverage may appeal where programs are being simplified or updated. Because Newcastle disease is notifiable and outbreak responses can trigger movement controls and trade consequences, prevention decisions affect far more than flock-level clinical risk. In that sense, the approval gives veterinarians another option to weigh alongside local epidemiology, existing vaccine programs, hatchery capabilities, and customer export goals. (news.zoetis.com)
There’s also a broader portfolio signal here. Zoetis is continuing to build out HVT-vector combinations in poultry, and the EU has already authorized related Procerta products. That suggests the company sees sustained demand for combination respiratory and immunosuppressive disease protection in intensive poultry production. An inference, but a reasonable one, is that manufacturers expect European producers to place greater value on flexible, hatchery-compatible vaccination platforms as disease pressure and regulatory scrutiny remain elevated. (news.zoetis.com)
What to watch: The next markers will be practical rather than regulatory: country-level commercial rollout, whether poultry integrators incorporate the vaccine into standard hatchery programs, and whether additional field data emerge from Europe on efficacy, compatibility, or program economics. Given the ongoing Newcastle disease monitoring in Europe, uptake may depend as much on outbreak geography and trade considerations as on product attributes alone. (news.zoetis.com)