Our Story
At MSD Animal Health, we understand that keeping animals healthy is both a vital and demanding responsibility. Today’s challenges – from emerging diseases to increasing industry pressures – require innovative solutions grounded in deep expertise and unwavering commitment.
our story
130 years
What We Do
For over 130 years, MSD has been a global leader in groundbreaking science.
Today, we develop breakthrough medicines, vaccines and technology that improve the health and well-being of animals worldwide.
How We Work
Our team includes veterinarians, farmers and caregivers who bring firsthand experience and passion to everything we do.
This unique perspective shapes our approach and drives us to work closely with our customers—whether on the farm, in the clinic, or in the field.
What We Deliver
Our singular focus is to empower those who care for animals with the tools and confidence they need to manage their responsibilities effectively. From advanced vaccine solutions for companion animals to real-time monitoring and breakthrough treatments for livestock, our innovations enable faster, smarter decisions that accelerate progress and improve outcomes.
Why It Matters
Healthy animals are the foundation of a healthy world. As threats to animal health evolve, so do our solutions. At MSD Animal health, we are committed to continuous innovation—not just to treat illness today, but to build a healthier, more resilient future for animals and the people who depend on them. Because when it comes to animal health, no one sees it like we do.
A Legacy of Innovation
2020s
- MSD Animal Health receives CVMP positive opinion for INNOVAX®-ND-ILT in the European Union for protection against Marek’s Disease, Infectious Laryngotracheitis and Newcastle Disease.
- MSD Animal Health introduces the INNOJECT Pro, a subcutaneous chick vaccination technology for increased accuracy of injection and greater sustainability during the vaccination process, reducing stress to chicks.
- MSD Animal Health receives a conditional license approval for gilvetmab, a caninized monoclonal antibody for treatment of dogs with mast cell tumors or melanomas, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics.
- MSD Animal Health receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for BRAVECTO® monthly chews for dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and older for treatment and prevention of fleas and treatment and control of ticks.
- MSD Animal Health receives U.S. Department of Agriculture approval for NASALGEN® 3, a three-way intranasal vaccine that protects beef and dairy cattle from the most common pneumonia-causing viral pathogens.
- MSD Animal Health receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for PORCILIS® Ileitis for multi-dose administration to vaccinate against ileitis caused by Lawsonia intracellularis.
- MSD Animal Health announces $100 investment in facility expansion and enhancement efforts in its DeSoto, Kansas, manufacturing operations, including technological expansion of a vaccine production facility.
- MSD Animal Health expands its SEQUIVITY® veterinary prescription vaccine platform for sapovirus, an emerging virus causing diarrhea in young pigs.
- MSD Animal Health announces EXZOLT® as the first veterinary product centrally registered in the European Union to include animal welfare improvement in its Summary of Product Characteristics following a CVMP positive opinion in the European Union.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission of NOBIVAC® DP PLUS, a vaccine that provides protection against canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) during the most vulnerable stage of a puppy’s life.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission of NOBIVAC® Respira Bb, an injectable vaccine to reduce clinical respiratory signs and shedding of infection caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, one of the most widely recognized causes of canine cough.
- MSD Animal Health was named best animal health company in North America by IHS Markit, the most widely read publication reporting on the animal health industry.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission of an additional indication for the vaccine, BOVILIS® INtranasal RSP® Live, to be used for the active immunization of young calves to reduce clinical signs of respiratory disease and viral shedding from infection with BRSV and PI3, two respiratory pathogens.
- MSD Animal Health receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for NUFLOR®-S (florfenicol) Injectable Solution indicated for treatment of Swine Respiratory Disease.
- MSD Animal Health receives license approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Circumvent® CML vaccine for swine.
- MSD Animal Health opens a manufacturing facility for its animal intelligence products in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, broadening its manufacturing capacity and capabilities for identification ear tags.
- MSD Animal Health receives the Best New Food Animal Product from S&P Global Animal Health for CIRCUMVENT® CML. It is the first and only ready-to-use, single-dose intramuscular injectable vaccine against disease caused by Porcine Circovirus Types 2a and 2d, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Lawsonia intracellularis in pigs, three weeks of age and older.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission for BOVILIS CRYPTIUM®, the first EU-licensed vaccine to protect cattle against Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) infection, which is a highly infectious zoonotic parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, one of the most significant gastrointestinal diseases in cattle.
- MSD Animal Health receives its first-ever approvals for an injectable formulation of BRAVECTO® from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and the Peruvian Ministry of Health. It is the first and only injectable parasiticide to provide up to a full year of flea and tick protection for dogs.
- MSD Animal Health receives Best New Food Animal Product recognition from S&P Global Animal Health for SENSEHUB® Feedlot, a technology that provides real-time data to detect potentially sick cattle earlier, more efficiently and accurately than traditional visual observation.
- MSD Animal Health announces availability of the canine oncology therapy, gilvetmab, to board-certified veterinary oncologists in the U.S. for treatment of dogs with mast cell tumors or melanomas.
- MSD Animal Health launches CIRCUMVENT® CML, the first ready-to-use, single-dose vaccine effective against disease caused by Porcine Circovirus Types 2a and 2d, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Lawsonia intracellularis in pigs, three weeks of age or older.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission for INNOVAX®-ILT-IBD, a dual-construct HVT vaccine that provides long-term protection against infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT), infectious bursal disease (IBD) and Marek’s disease (MD).
- MSD Animal Health announces availability of the SEQUIVITY® IAV-S NA (Swine Influenza Vaccine, N1 and N2, RNA Particle) vaccine. The vaccine is the first commercial vaccine that uses only the influenza neuraminidase (NA) surface antigen to vaccinate pigs against influenza strains H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2. The company received license approval for the vaccine from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2022.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission for BRAVECTO® injection for dogs for the immediate and persistent killing of fleas and ticks.
- MSD Animal Health receives license approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for INNOVAX®-ILT-IBD vaccine for combined protection and immunization against Marek’s disease (MD), Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) and Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) in a single injection.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission for PORCILIS® PCV M Hyo ID, a ready-to-use intradermal vaccine that offers protection against two of the most common swine pathogens: Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo).
- MSD Animal Health introduces expansion of the NOBIVAC® NXT vaccine platform to protect cats against one of the most common feline infectious diseases, feline leukemia virus (FeLV).
- MSD Animal Health launches SenseHub™ Dairy Youngstock for pre-weaned calves in individual hutches and group housing, which is the industry’s first monitoring technology for dairy calves from birth through the first 12 months of life. The technology helps dairy workers quickly locate animals that need attention and use labor more efficiently.
- MSD Animal Health receives license approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for NOBIVAC® NXT Canine Flu H3N2, a next-level solution to help safeguard dogs against the ongoing threat of canine influenza.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission for INNOVAX®-ND-H5 Vaccine for use in chickens, which is the first centrally registered vaccine in the EU against the currently circulating avian influenza virus strains of clade 2.3.4.4b, which cause high mortality in poultry.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission for NOBILIS MULTRIVA™ REOm for use in chickens. The vaccine is approved for the active immunization of chickens for the passive immunization of the progeny of the vaccinated chickens to reduce viraemia and clinical signs of disease caused by avian reovirus (ARV) genotypes 1 and 4.
- MSD Animal Health wins S&P Global Award for Best New Companion Animal Product for injectable formulation of BRAVECTO® (fluralaner). It is the first and only parasiticide that protects dogs against fleas and ticks for an entire year with a single dose, offering longer flea and tick protection than any other systemic product currently on the market.
2010s
- The operating name of the animal health unit changes to MSD Animal Health.
- MSD Animal Health receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of BRAVECTO®, the first chewable tablet for dogs for up to 12 weeks of treatment and prevention of fleas and ticks.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval of PORCILIS® PCV M Hyo vaccine, Europe’s first single-shot vaccine to protect piglets from Porcine Circovirus Type 2 and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections.
- MSD Animal Health receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and CVMP positive opinion for BRAVECTO® for both cats and dogs in the European Union, up to 12 weeks of treatment and prevention of fleas and ticks.
- MSD Animal Health becomes the first company to receive U.S. Department of Agriculture approval for NOBIVAC® Canine Influenza H3N2 Vaccine (CIV) to protect dogs against the newly identified strain of CIV.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval in the U.S. and Europe for BRAVECTO® Plus spot-on solution for cats, providing extended-duration, broad-spectrum coverage of internal and external parasites.
- MSD Animal Health receives approval from the European Commission of an expanded indication of PANACUR® AquaSol to combat three gastrointestinal parasites in chickens.
- MSD Animal Health introduces the IDAL® 3G needle-free, intradermal swine vaccination device within their IDAL® way extended vaccine portfolio.
- MSD Animal Health introduces INNOVAX®-ND-IBD, the first live vaccine in the United States, made with biotechnology that protects against three highly infectious diseases in poultry – Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) and Marek’s Disease (MD).
- MSD Animal Health introduces its SEQUIVITY™ Technology, a highly innovative and highly advanced RNA Particle Technology used to create flexible, safe and precise vaccine solutions to new and evolving disease challenges.
2000s
- Launch of SLICE® fish antiparasitic for the treatment of sea lice in salmon (Schering-Plough Animal Health).
- Licensure of the first live bacterial recombinant vaccine against strangles in horses in the EU (Intervet).
- Introduction of PORCILIS® Pesti, the first marker vaccine for classical swine fever (Intervet).
- Schering-Plough acquires Organon Biosciences (Intervet and Organon) from AKZO NOBEL. The animal health division operates as Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health.
- Development of SPHEREON® freeze-drying technology for vaccines (Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health).
- MSD acquires Schering-Plough. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health becomes the animal health division of MSD, including HomeAgain®, a leader in microchip and pet recovery services.
1990s
- Development of florfenicol, a novel phenicol antibiotic exclusive to animal health (Schering-Plough Animal Health).
- Introduction of antiparasitic SCALIBOR®, a dog collar to prevent Leishmaniasis from sand fly bites (Intervet).
- MSD and French pharmaceutical company Rhone-Merieux (later Sanofi) combine their animal health divisions in an equally owned joint venture named Merial.
1980s
- Development of first recombinant DNA vaccine (PORCILIS® Porcoli against diarrhea in piglets) by Intervet.
1970s
- Introduction of anti-inflammatory drug for horses (Schering-Plough Animal Health).
- Intervet develops anthelmintic fenbendazole, which is still used today against parasites, such as roundworms and hookworms, that are found in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts of chickens.
- Intervet launches products for reproduction management in farm animals.
1960s
- Netherlands-based “Koninklijke Zwanenburg Organon” (which later became AKZO NOBEL) acquires Intervet.
1950s
- Schering-Plough Animal Health is established and comes to market with prednisone to treat ketosis in dairy cattle.
- Intervet develops first fowl pox vaccine for poultry.
- Publication of first edition of The MSD Veterinary Manual.
1940s
- MSD establishes an Animal Health division and discovers sulfaquinoxaline, the first poultry coccidiostat.
- Feed manufacturer Wim Hendrix lays the foundation for Intervet in Boxmeer, The Netherlands, where the Animal Health headquarters of todays’ company remained until 2012.
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