health and well‐being of pets, produc on animals
and wildlife throughout the world.
“The core of Merial’s vaccines business began in Athens,
and the contribu ons of Merial Athens employees have
transformed the health of animals throughout the world,”
said John Millwood, Merial’s Athens site director. “We are
proud to be one of the largest employers in Athens‐
Clarke County, and we con nue to invest here so that we
can further advance animal health through new vaccines,
therapeu c products, biologics and technology pla orms.”
Ribbon cu ng of the Athens Merial Plant in 1989.
Merial employs nearly 400 people in Athens and more than
1,000 in the state of Georgia, including Merial’s North
American headquarters in Duluth, Georgia and its
produc on facility in Gainesville, Georgia. Merial
completed its most recent Athens site expansion in 2013 to
accommodate the growth of poultry vaccine produc on
lines.
Merial con nues to collaborate with the University of
Georgia on animal health research, and joint research
projects have led to mul ple commercialized vaccines and
treatments.
PUREVAX®, the industry‐
leading line of nonadjuvanted
feline vaccines that helps
protect cats against a number
of diseases, including rabies,
feline leukemia virus (FeLV),
panleukopenia, and pathogens
that commonly cause
respiratory disease in cats. The
family of PUREVAX vaccines
induces immunity without any
adjuvants that can present
poten al risks to cats.
ONCEPT®, the first DNA‐
based therapeu c cancer
vaccine, which is used in
dogs with stage II or stage III
canine oral melanoma to
support surgery and/or
radia on therapy.
12
RECOMBITEK®, a line of
vaccines that uses
recombinant technology to
help protect dogs from
distemper and Lyme disease
and horses from West Nile
Virus and influenza.
RABORAL V‐RG®, an oral rabies
recombinant vaccine that
helps protect raccoons and
coyotes against rabies to
reduce the risk of rabies
exposure to humans and
domes c animals.
Over the years, Merial has invested more than $15