The third "European Porcine Circovirus Research Award" honours scientists from Spain and Denmark

Ingelheim/Germany, 23 February 2010 – Diseases associated with PCV2 infection (PCVD) belong to the most devastating diseases in swine worldwide. Fortunately, since a few years, losses attributed to this disease complex can be controlled very effectively by vaccinating piglets.

Still, PCV2 remains a major threat for pig production, and further research is needed on PCV2 immunology and the interaction with other potential pathogens. It is Boehringer Ingelheim’s intention to continuously support independent applied research in this field. A maximum of three prizes, each 25,000 Euro, are granted to European researchers each year. For the third year in a row, research projects were awarded in 2009, and prizes were recently presented to the award winners by Prof. Maurice Pensaert, former head of the Laboratory of Virology of the Ghent University, and Dr. Joachim Hasenmaier, Head of Corporate Division Animal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim, during a ceremony at the global headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim in Ingelheim, Germany.

This year two projects were selected by the independent review board for funding:

• Effects of PCV2 vaccination upon basic parameters of the immune response of pigs in a PCV2 subclinical infection model. Interaction with Aujeszky’s disease vaccination. (Prof. Joaquim Segalés, University of Barcelona and CReSA, Spain). This research project investigates the negative impact of PCV2 on the immune system and the possibility to prevent this effect by vaccination.
• Investigation of PCV2 free herds. (Dr. Charlotte Sonne Kristensen, Danish Agriculture and Food Council-Pig Research Centre, Denmark). Dr. Kristensen will evaluate factors that might have an influence on the PCV2 status of a swine herd.

European Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) Research Award
The European Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) Research Award is an annual award that recognizes research proposals in the area of applied immunological PCV2 research. A maximum of three prizes, 25,000 Euro each, are granted to European researchers who convince the independent jury with their outline of innovative research approaches in the field of swine immunology to explore Porcine Circovirus Disease (PCVD). With the award Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health aims to promote further scientific progress to better understand and ultimately control this devastating swine disease.

The European PCV2 Award has an independent review board with leading European scientists in applied porcine research reviewing the entries and deciding upon the winning proposals. The panel is chaired by Professor emeritus Maurice Pensaert from the Laboratory of Veterinary Virology at the University of Ghent in Belgium.

How to apply
Applications for the next European PCV2 Research award can be submitted by September 10, 2010. For more details please contact Maurice.Pensaert@ugent.be or Petra.Maass@boehringer-ingelheim.com.

Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica belong to 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 137 affiliates in 47 countries and 41,300 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 2008, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 11.6 billion euro while spending one fifth of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.

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