The Newcastle disease (ND) which is caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a highly contagious disease that causes devastating economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. The main strategy to control this disease is by using different vaccines that have been developed for more than six decades ago. However, the current vaccines are often not able to provide complete protection. Virulent genotype VII NDV is the predominant NDV strain circulating in Malaysia and many other countries in Asia and Middle East Continents since 10 years ago.

According to Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Omar, through reverse genetic technology, a Genotype-Matched Vaccine has successfully been developed after more than 5 years of research under the Higher Institution Centres of Excellence (HICoE), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education Malaysia.

IBS, UPM, in the courses of safety testing done with MVP cooperation, evaluation in chickens has proven that the vaccine is stable, will not cause any adverse reactions and safe to be used in one-day-old chicks. Chicks which have been inoculated once with the vaccine elicit high antibody level after 3 weeks that are able to provide full protection against genotype VII disease challenge and virus shedding.

MVP as the country's sole animal vaccine manufacturer and in addition to its extensive experience in commercially producing animal vaccines for almost 30 years, has been a close industry partner of UPM. MVP has successfully commercialized several animal vaccines produced by UPM researchers, such as the vaccine for fowl pox (MyVAC Fowl Pox), vaccine for Infectious Bursal Disease (MyHatch UPM IBD 93) and Newcastle disease vaccine (MyVAC ND V4 HR).

A team of researchers from IBS and FPV is developing several animal vaccines that will be ready for commercialization in the next one to two years. UPM would like to invite interested industry partners to collaborate and commercialize these locally developed animal vaccines.

Currently, the National vaccine industry is highly depended to foreign technology, more than 70% of animal vaccine used in Malaysia are imported vaccines. Research and innovation of vaccine for commercialization is an intricate process that can be overcome through strong collaboration from all parties including industry at the early stage. It is anticipated the development of local vaccines will be able to reduce the dependency of the government towards the importation of animal vaccine and eventually opens the opportunity for the development of a new vaccine facility. Until today, MVP is the only manufacturer that has successfully produced and marketed locally- produced vaccines for the country and export them overseas.

MVP will make the Genotype-Matched Vaccine as one of its main products to control ND in Malaysia and other countries. MVP has already received orders for this vaccine from countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Egypt. Up to today, MVP has successfully produced 19 types of veterinary vaccines especially for poultry diseases.

For further details, contact :

Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Omar
Institue of Bioscience &
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
E-mail : aro@upm.edu.my

Dr Nurfarahin Asyikin bt Tajul Ariff
Malaysian Vaccines And Pharmaceuticals SDN. BHD.
Puchong, Selangor.
Tel:03-80615701

Artikel oleh /Article by :

Asrizam Esam
Pegawai Penyelidik
Putra Science Park UPM

Date of Input: 30/12/2019 | Updated: 15/01/2020 | asrizam