European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) has issued its latest round of scientific opinions, granting key marketing authorizations and enforcing critical product safety updates for leading animal health products, as an outcome of its meetings from May 19-21, 2026.
The approvals span advanced companion animal vaccines / biologicals, poultry vaccines, and updated safety monitoring for certain chronic care drugs.
Companion Animal: Next-Gen Feline Lines & Safety Revisions
The CVMP granted positive marketing authorization opinions for Intervet International’s / MMSD Animal Health / Merck Animal Health’s new line of advanced feline vaccines, designed to streamline core vaccination protocols:
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Nobivac NXT HC: Formulated for active vaccination against feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV)
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Nobivac NXT HCP: Expands protection by adding defense against feline panleucopenia virus (FPV)
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Nobivac NXT HCPCh: The most comprehensive variant in the vaccines list, adding active vaccination/immunization against Chlamydia felis.
Updated Safety Warnings for Librela and Neptra
Following rigorous reviews, the Committee mandated urgent updates to the product information sheets of two high-volume companion animal treatments:
- Librela (bedinvetmab): Zoetis’s blockbuster canine osteoarthritis monoclonal antibody must now list joint swelling, joint pain, bone and joint disorders, and arthritis as “very rare” adverse events. The EMA advises veterinarians to perform additional diagnostic imaging and consider discontinuing treatment on a case-by-case basis if a dog presents with new or increased joint pain post-injection
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Neptra (otitis externa treatment): Elanco’s otic solution must now include hypersensitivity reactions (such as facial edema, urticaria, and anaphylaxis) as a very rare side effect following clinical use
Poultry & Swine: Disease Expansion / Variants for Vaccines Approvals
The committee approved following vaccines for poultry and swine segment:
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Poulvac Procerta HVT-ND: Approved for the active immunization/vaccination of one-day-old chickens and 18- to 19-day-old embryonated chicken eggs, providing early-stage dual defense against Marek’s disease and Newcastle disease
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Vectormune HVT-AIV: The live recombinant avian influenza vaccine successfully fulfilled its specific scientific obligation, submitting validated data proving its long-term duration of immunity
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Respivac aMPV: designed for active vaccination againt turkey rhinotracheitis, this live virus vaccine received approval to add turkeys as a new target species while establishing a higher minimum formulation composition per dose for chickens than currently approved version
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Enteroporc Coli AC: Granted a positive opinion for a worksharing procedure for Enteroporc Coli AC (neonatal piglet colibacillosis (recombinant, inactivated) and Clostridium perfringens vaccine (inactivated) for mixed, associated use of the vaccine and other nationally authorised products
Ruminants: Bluetongue & EHD Vector Control
In response to emerging vector-borne pathogen movements across the European continent, the CVMP cleared the following vaccines:
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BTVPUR (Bluetongue Vaccine): Approved a variation to validate and implement a new vaccination practice against BTV serotype 8 (BTV8) in sheep, optimizing seasonal protection parameters
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Hepizovac: The inactivated Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease (EHD) vaccine successfully cleared its regulatory threshold by fulfilling specific compliance obligations proving antigen stability at 18 months of storage
