Building a better understanding between animal and human health issues is a key objective for Jalil Ibrahim Fuentes, the newly appointed product manager with MSD Animal Health’s Pig Team. A qualified pharmacist, he joined the UK team in September following an internship working in ruminant health with the company’s livestock business unit in Madrid, Spain.
A graduate of Madrid University, he has a degree in pharmacy, a Masters in commercial management and marketing and spent two years as a community pharmacist before joining AbbVie Pharmaceuticals in 2015 where he worked with human immunology medicines.
Jalil says it’s an interesting time to be entering the pig industry. The vital role herd health has within UK production sector is both fascinating and challenging and he hopes his combined pharmacology and marketing experience will benefit the role MSD is developing working alongside vets and producers to improve disease prevention and control, reduce reliance on medication and increase production efficiency of the UK’s pig herd.
“The human and veterinary health sectors have equivalent objectives, to improve immunity within populations and reduce the risk and threats from disease. I believe a closer relationship and greater understanding between these sectors will improve how disease is managed and controlled in ways that will benefit to people and animals,” he said.
Based at MSD’s UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, Jalil will fulfil a marketing role supporting a broad range of activities/initiatives with key veterinary practices and production businesses throughout the UK and Ireland.
