Two giants of avian health, HIPRA and Elanco, have joined forces to introduce two vaccines against avian metapneumovirus in the United States. Poultry producers thus gain new tools to combat avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), a highly contagious and costly virus that affects turkeys, as well as broilers, layers, and breeders.
GIRONA, 20 January 2026 – Spanish biotechnology pharmaceutical company Hipra has taken a strategic step forward in its international expansion by crossing the Atlantic to enter the avian vaccine market in the United States. The company has signed an alliance with Elanco Animal Health to market and distribute its vaccines targeting the US poultry sector, with the aim of curbing the spread of avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), a pathogen that has kept the country on a state of sanitary alert.
A critical threat to the poultry industry
Avian metapneumovirus is a highly contagious respiratory disease that has caused devastating economic losses for poultry producers in the United States. The impact is particularly severe in turkey production, where it is estimated that between 60% and 80% of commercial flocks across the country will be affected by this virus. In addition to turkeys, broilers, layers, and breeders are also highly susceptible to this disease.
Scott Gustin, Technical Director Lead for Poultry at Elanco USA, explained that, because the virus subtypes were foreign to the country and spread rapidly from coast to coast, biosecurity measures proved insufficient to contain it, making vaccination against avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) the key tool for managing the crisis.
Innovative solutions manufactured in Amer
The agreement covers the distribution of two specific vaccines developed and manufactured by Hipra at its facility in Amer (Girona):
- Respivac® aMPV: A live attenuated vaccine targeting broilers, layers, and breeders. Based on subtype B, it offers cross-protection against subtype A and can be administered flexibly at the hatchery, on-farm, or during the laying period, either by spray or via drinking water. For prolonged immunity, hens may be vaccinated every 9 weeks.
- Hipraviar® TRT: Indicated for chickens, breeders, and turkeys, it stands out as the only inactivated vaccine that uses the same subtype, origin (chicken), and strain as the live vaccine, providing robust, long-term protection.
In early 2025, Hipra had already introduced these vaccines to selected poultry producers through field trials under an emergency import licence. The results of these trials showed a significant improvement in the health and performance of vaccinated birds compared with records from the previous year.
This strategic alliance reinforces HIPRA’s new role as a third-party manufacturer and expands ELANCO’s poultry health portfolio.
For Hipra, this agreement represents a qualitative advance in its global strategy, reinforcing its new role as a third-party manufacturer of avian vaccines and other species, while consolidating its key position in international poultry health. Xavier de Paz, Animal Health Marketing Director at Hipra, highlighted that Elanco’s strength in the US market and its in-depth knowledge of the poultry sector make it the “ideal strategic partner” to ensure a consistent supply aligned with market needs.
For her part, Martina Dardi, Poultry Global Technical Manager at Hipra, noted that the company’s worldwide experience in controlling this virus makes it possible to implement vaccination programmes that have already demonstrated success in other regions of the world.
Company backgrounds
Hipra continues to strengthen its animal health division, which was the main driver of its 2024 results, reaching a 6.8% share of the global food animal vaccine market. The company devotes more than 15% of its annual revenue to R&D, focused on creating and applying the latest scientific advances in the development of innovative vaccines, under its own brand or for third parties, to the highest quality standards. It also has a strong international presence through 40 subsidiaries, 3 R&D centres, and six production plants in Europe (Spain) and the Americas (Brazil).
Elanco Animal Health is a global animal health company dedicated to the innovation and development of products and services to prevent and treat diseases in farm and companion animals. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN), a former Lilly subsidiary with 70 years of history, reported earnings of 338 million dollars and revenues exceeding 4.4 billion in 2024.
This collaboration adds to other alliances forged by the US company, such as its partnership with Aptimmune for swine diseases, further reinforcing its poultry health solutions portfolio.
For more information:
-. HIPRA poultry health solutions
-. ELANCO poultry health solutions
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