Intervet/Schering-Plough has highlighted the role its medicines have played in combating the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak that has affected South Korea in recent months.

The animal health company has supplied around 12 million doses of its inactivated oil-adjuvanted vaccine Decivac FMD DOE to the Asian nation since receiving an initial order in January 2011.

This represents around half of all the FMD vaccines delivered to the country since the outbreak was reported in November 2010, with a treatment programme for 13 million animals currently underway.

Intervet/Schering-Plough hailed its international competence centre for FMD vaccine research, development and production in Europe for its response to the situation.

Paul van Aarle, director of institutional sales at Intervet/Schering-Plough, said: "We are extremely proud to have proven once again that we are ready to address emergencies, deliver the required vaccine [and meet] agreed quantities and timelines."

Last month, the company announced that it will be providing Novartis Animal Health with access to part of its patent portfolio in order to help it develop pancreas disease vaccines for fish.