Russian Regulator Recalls Contaminated Multican‑8 Vaccine After Pet Deaths

Russia has ordered the destruction of a batch of one of its most widely used dog vaccines after finding live virus in test samples, confirming a link to pet deaths reported nationwide since August.

Russia’s veterinary and agricultural inspection agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced that batch 20 of the Multican‑8 vaccine, manufactured by Moscow‑based Vetbiokhim, was found to contain a live Aujeszky’s disease virus—a typically fatal canine illness for which there is no specific treatment.

The regulator ordered the batch withdrawn from circulation and destroyed. According to independent Russian outlet Meduza, batch 20 comprised 60,000 doses.

Dog owners in Moscow, St. Petersburg and at least eight other regions—including Krasnodar, Yaroslavl, Leningrad, Tula, Penza, Saratov and Belgorod—had reported severe adverse reactions and deaths in animals that received the Multican‑8 vaccine.

The Russian State Duma reported receiving roughly 300 complaints of pet dog deaths linked to the vaccine, according to the Russian outlet Baza.

Vetbiokhim initially suggested that the contamination might have resulted from deliberate interference by third parties. However, the regulator’s discovery of a live pathogen and serious production violations casts doubt on those sabotage claims.

Four other batches of Multican vaccines had already been suspended prior to Wednesday’s order.

Rosselkhoznadzor and the prosecutor’s office announced inspections in August, and Vetbiokhim stated it was conducting an internal investigation.

In early September, Rosselkhoznadzor reported that preliminary findings indicated serious production violations and warned that the company could face licence revocation.

Vetbiokhim drafted compensation agreements with owners of deceased dogs, offering between 200,000 and 300,000 rubles per case, according to Meduza, which cited posts in private chats used by affected owners.

The agreements required recipients to waive all further claims and sign non‑disclosure agreements that prohibited them from discussing the case with media, on social media, or in messaging apps without the company’s consent.

The company told Russian business outlet RBC that the confidentiality clause was ‘standard legal practice’.

Multican‑8 was the top‑selling product in Russia’s pet vaccine segment from January to July of this year, accounting for roughly 20 % of the market, according to Kommersant, which cited data from RNC Pharma.

Vetbiokhim’s products account for approximately 70 % of the Russian market for dog and cat vaccines across its portfolio of 15 products.

The company’s dominance expanded sharply after Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions in early 2022, which reduced the share of imported veterinary medicines on the Russian market from 50 % to between 10 % and 15 %.

Owners of cats vaccinated with the company’s Multifel product have also reported deaths, according to independent outlet Govorit NeMoskva.

Multican‑8 is also marketed outside Russia, including in Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan. However, there is currently no evidence that any suspect batches have been exported abroad.

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