Intervet's Bird Flu Vaccine Receives EU License

Boxmeer, The Netherlands (ots/PRNewswire) - Intervet, a leading
animal health company, received approval for its bird flu (avian
influenza) vaccine Nobilis(R) Influenza H7N1. As a result, Europe now
has a licensed vaccine to protect birds against the H7 field strain.
Last year the European Commission approved Nobilis(R) Influenza H5N2.
With the registration Intervet confirms its leading position in AI
vaccines (including H5N2, H5N6, H7N1, H7N7 and H9N2) to protect
chickens and ducks against different strains of bird flu.

The CVMP (Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary use)
highlighted the fact that the current concerns about avian influenza
have mainly focused on H5 strains, but that the danger posed by H7
strains should not be ignored. The world has been suffering from H7
outbreaks for seven years. The Netherlands (2003) and Italy
(1999-2000) already reported infections of H7 avian influenza.
Similar to H5N1, birds with the H7 avian influenza virus can infect
humans, as has been demonstrated in the Netherlands in 2003. The
outbreaks resulted in 30 millions birds being culled in the
Netherlands, and 13 millions birds in Italy.

Paul van Aarle, Director Institutional Sales at Intervet said: "It
is necessary to be prepared for potential outbreaks caused by the H7
virus. Therefore Intervet developed this product and applied for
European registration. Fortunately the CVMP/EMEA took the same
position and reviewed the vaccine under the accelerated registration
procedure. This is an excellent example of how industry and
regulators can take their joint responsibility towards society."

The vaccine protects against the different varieties of the highly
pathogenic H7 field strain. If embedded in national control programs,
vaccination contributes substantially to controlling bird flu and
reducing the circulation of the virus in the bird population. By
reducing the amount of virus in the field, the chance on infection of
people is reduced.

The vaccine contains inactivated virus, and has to be injected in
order to get a full immune response. Intervet research is
investigating the possibilities for a new vaccine type for mass
application avoiding injection.

It is important to differentiate between infected and vaccinated
animals. Birds vaccinated with H7N1 produce a different set of
antibodies than those birds infected with other variants of the H7
field strain. These antibodies can be monitored using specific
diagnostic tests.

With a growing list of countries already using Nobilis(R)
Influenza successfully in official governmental avian flu control
programs, Intervet has accumulated a wealth of experience in the use
of vaccines against bird flu. The company has been working with
national governments and international organizations to advise on
outbreak control and management as well as vaccination strategies
aimed at helping bring avian influenza to a halt. Information on
these strategies is available on: www.avian-influenza.com.

Note for the Editor

Intervet, a business unit of Akzo Nobel, based in Boxmeer, the
Netherlands, with sales of EUR 1,125 million in 2006, is dedicated to
research and development, production and marketing of innovative
animal health products. Intervet's product range for use in
livestock, companion animals, poultry and fish includes vaccines,
antiparasitics, anti-infectives, endocrine products, other
pharmaceutical specialties. Intervet operates globally with its own
marketing organizations. The company currently employs around 5,300
people.

www.intervet.com

Akzo Nobel is a Fortune Global 500 company and is listed on both
the Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ stock exchanges. It is also
included on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and FTSE4Good Index.
Based in the Netherlands, we are a multicultural organization serving
customers throughout the world with coatings, chemicals and human and
animal healthcare products. We employ around 62,000 people and
conduct our activities in these four segments, with operating
subsidiaries in more than 80 countries. Consolidated revenues for
2006 totaled EUR 13.7 billion. The financial results for the second
quarter will be published on July 24, 2007.

www.akzonobel.com

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ots Originaltext: Intervet
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Not for publication - for more information: Suzanne Hendriksen, Tel:
+31-(0)485-58-7893; Media Relations Officer, Fax: +31-(0)485-58-5392;
Intervet International bv, suzanne.hendriksen@intervet.com


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