MSD Animal Health has used its latest S&P Global Animal Health recognition to underline a broader point about where innovation is creating value across the sector. In a February 24, 2026 announcement, the company said NUMELVI won Best Product Companion Animal and INNOVAX ND-IBD-ILT won Best Product Food Animal, adding that this was the first time a company had won both awards in the same year. MSD Animal Health also said the 2025 awards marked its eighth consecutive year of recognition from S&P Global Animal Health. 

The headline may be split across two segments, but the message is one of range. On the companion animal side, MSD Animal Health highlighted NUMELVI as a once-daily, first-line treatment in most markets, including the European Union, and described it as the only second-generation Janus kinase inhibitor indicated for pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis, including atopic dermatitis, in dogs. The company also noted that NUMELVI is not currently approved in the United States. 

On the food animal side, the stronger commercial signal comes from poultry. MSD Animal Health said INNOVAX ND-IBD-ILT is the only single-dose vaccine approved to provide combined protection against diseases caused by Newcastle disease virus, infectious bursal disease virus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus and Marek’s disease virus. The company added that these four diseases are among the most economically devastating in poultry production. 

That gives the food animal portion of the announcement particular weight. In poultry, disease control is not only about health outcomes; it is also closely tied to production continuity, flock performance and the cost of managing risk. A vaccine positioned around broad, single-dose protection speaks directly to that pressure, especially in systems where efficiency and consistency carry growing financial importance. This is where MSD Animal Health’s award claim becomes more than a corporate milestone and starts to reflect a wider market direction. 

MSD Animal Health framed the dual recognition as evidence of innovation across both companion animals and livestock. Whether viewed as a branding moment or a portfolio signal, the announcement places poultry prevention alongside dermatology as two areas where the company believes differentiated products can stand out in a competitive market.