# Purevax Rabies 3 year



## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

Like others in the forum, I've been following the strange saga of the Merial Purevax non-adjuvanted rabies vaccine in terms of its approval as a 3 year vaccine. 

One of my cats was given the Purevax rabies vaccine a year ago, so I went online to see where things stood and read this announcement dated the end of July, 2014:

Merial Introduces PUREVAX® Feline Rabies 3 YR Vaccine

So, what I'm wondering is: If my cat was given the Merial Purevax one year ago, is that vaccination now good for three years, or is it actually a new product? The way the announcement is worded is a bit vague. It says that Merial is "introducing" a 3 year vaccine, but is that just corporate-speak for saying, "It's the same product, but with new approvals"? Has anyone confirmed this through his or her vet?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Sure sounds like a different product to me, especially with this statemet:

_A 1 year booster vaccination is required after primary vaccination, followed by a vaccination every three years. _

But in the end, I think your question best put to Merial.


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## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

This article suggests that it's the same vaccine, but with a revised approval--and that the vaccine was scientifically verified as having 3-year efficacy almost two years ago.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23059358


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Ok...but the marketing on the 3 year product is obviously not grandfathering in previously administered vaccines. Here in NH, the vet issues a rabies tag with an expiration date. They also issue a certificate that looks like it may also get filled with the state. I can't imagine that any effort would be put towards updating those items or that the state would approve an informal extension.


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## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

Good points about scientific facts vs. official sanction.

I have a good friend who works with a major pharmaceutical company in drug development, and the problem with getting the truth from anyone working for one of these companies is that they're all highly trained to repeat the official company line for reasons of legal liability.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

What it could mean, though, is that it's worth titering, assuming your state accepts that.


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## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

I found out a little bit more about the topic.

1) Merial's Purevax Feline rabies was approved for 3 year DOI (duration of immunity) in the UK (known for its hardline stances on rabies) in March, 2012. It states on this page that this was a change in the "revaccination interval," not a new product. 

GTIN (Global Trade Item No)

2) I called my own vet to ask if they offered the 3-year vaccine. She is aware of it but said that she will probably not be offering it due to the high price.

That's when I called my friend whose job it is to shepherd his company's products through clinical trials. His take: It's most likely the same vaccine, now approved for a 3-year interval in the United States. However, Merial has had to spend a lot of money to obtain this approval due to problems with the process in the USA. At the same time, if they offered the 3-year vaccine for the same price as the 1-year, they would see a 2/3 drop in revenue, so their strategy will likely be, at least initially, to market the repackaged vaccine at a higher price to test the waters and see if pet owners will be willing to pay a premium for a non-adjuvanted vaccine with 3-year approval. At the same time, they will continue to sell what is probably the same thing at a lower price with 1-year approval. Depending on how consumers react, they may eventually do away with the 1-year product or lower the price of the 3-year product to find the price point that maximizes their overall sales. 

I hope this doesn't sound like paranoid conspiracy theory material. It's simply the case that for-profit drug companies keep an eye on their profits, and it's not unusual for companies to repackage existing drugs to keep profits up, e.g., Adderall XR. 

Again, this is informed speculation, but I have a background in science, and my friend used to work for a company that was developing HIV vaccines, so he understands Merial's canarypox technology and the byzantine politics of big pharma.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

And there you have it. I suspect most non cat specific vets don't use Merial's vaccine due to the cost and competitive pricing. Many people call around for prices on vaccines and go to the cheap clinics.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Silvestris, thanks for this information. After one of my cats had an adverse reaction to her shots (the PureVax and FVRCP booster), I did a bit of research online and read an article by a vet (I don't remember which website, but it's one that I've gotten information from and that I consider reliable) who said that the PureVax was good for at least 2 years, if not 3, but that it couldn't be marketed as such in the US for some reason that didn't seem to have anything to do with its effectiveness. So I'm not at all surprised by what you say. I'll see if I can find the article.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

It was from Dr. Pierson's site and explains why Merial didn't get the 3-year rating originally:

"The PureVax rabies vaccine only carries a 1-year rating in the United States even though 2 studies (and soon to be a 3rd) have shown that it protects cats for much longer (at least 3 years). This is in contrast to the more dangerous adjuvanted rabies vaccines that carry a 3-year rating.

Merial conducted 2 well-run studies showing that their PureVax rabies vaccine protected all study participants from a challenge with the rabies virus 3 years later. However not enough 'control' (non-vaccinated) cats died from the rabies challenge. Therefore, Meriel was not granted a 3-year license for this vaccine. Good science shows that this vaccine is protective for at least 3 years but, legally, it is only labeled for 1 year protection.

Merial is currently finishing up its third 3-year trial so we, in the United States, are hoping to have the vaccine labeled as a 3-year vaccine very soon.

What is confusing is that the literature accompanying the PureVax rabies vaccine in Europe states: "Duration of immunity after revaccination: 3 years.""


Even if it's the same vaccine, and my kitties need to be revaccinated next year, at least after that, we could go 3 years before getting more shots!


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