Pfizer Animal Health has acquired Microtek International, Inc, a recognized innovator in aquaculture vaccines, R&D and healthcare diagnostic services. The acquisition further expands Pfizer's commitment to a safe food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry and, now, fish.

Total global fish production - largely for human consumption - now exceeds that of pork, poultry, beef or dairy. Farmed fish production is becoming increasingly important in meeting global demand and is anticipated to account for 55 per cent of total fish production by 2017, according to industry sources.

"The time is right for Pfizer Animal Health to enter the global market for aquaculture healthcare therapeutics," said Juan Ramón Alaix, president, Pfizer Animal Health. "The integration of Microtek R&D into Pfizer Animal Health also will allow us to build a more diverse and innovative portfolio in biopharmaceuticals. The meat, dairy, egg and fish products that people enjoy for healthy living begin with a healthy food animal."

William Kay, president and chief executive officer, Microtek, who will continue to serve Pfizer in a consultant role, said, "Microtek not only brings to Pfizer Animal Health industry leading vaccines and technology, but also complements Pfizer's portfolio of health services and diagnostics for food animal production."

Terms of Pfizer Animal Health's acquisition of Microtek were not disclosed. A growing Pfizer global commitment to safe food According to Alaix, during the last three years, Pfizer Animal Health has continued to expand its commitment to a safe food supply.

In addition to acquiring last year a substantial portion of Wyeth/Fort Dodge Animal Health's biological and pharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing and food animal products and services, Pfizer Animal Health also - Earlier this year, expanded into global, animal health generic medicines by acquiring R&D and a product line-up from Vetnex Animal Health Limited in India; In 2008, established Pfizer Animal Genetics, helping breeders focus on high-quality beef cattle production with genetic markers, by acquiring R&D and technology from Catapult Genetics, Pty, Ltd, in Australia, and Bovigen, LLC, in the US; and in 2007, enhanced a growing Pfizer Poultry Health business by acquiring R&D and innovative in-ovo vaccination technology from Embrex, Inc, in the US.

Microtek International is a privately-held company based in British Columbia, Canada, with commercialized vaccines across a number of fish species.