Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- Protein production driving sector growth: Mexico’s livestock industry, particularly poultry and swine, continues to expand as demand for affordable protein rises, positioning the country as a key market for animal health innovation.
- Shift from treatment to prevention: Vaccines now represent half of Ceva’s global sales, reflecting the broader industry transition toward preventive health strategies supported by significant investment in biologics and advanced therapies.
- Traceability as the next competitiveness opportunity: Strengthening pharmacovigilance, disease monitoring, and supply chain traceability will be essential for Mexico to expand protein exports and compete with regional leaders.
- Regulatory modernization to accelerate innovation: Updating frameworks for advanced therapies and emerging technologies would help Mexico close the innovation gap and enable faster access to next-generation animal health solutions.
- One Health and biodiversity are at the core of the mission: Ceva’s work spans livestock productivity, companion animal care, and global conservation initiatives, reflecting the growing recognition that animal, human, and environmental health are deeply interconnected.
EF: Looking back to look forward, what are two achievements in the life sciences sector over the past decade in Latin America and specifically Mexico? What key areas should the sector focus on over the next four years as we approach 2030?
NC: In Latin America, our core markets are livestock and animal products. Ceva has made substantial investments in Mexico since our arrival 22 years ago, and we have built a portfolio that supports our customers’ growth. Per capita egg consumption in Mexico now exceeds 400 eggs per year, compared with about 230–250 in France. Demand is rising in Europe as well, as eggs remain an accessible source of protein.
Ceva’s investments reinforce our leadership in vaccine innovation, address specific disease challenges, and focus on the livestock segments. Our factories in the USA, Brazil, and Hungary produce vaccines, and we are extending this innovative work to swine health with a new vaccine targeting the latest PCV2 strain. We prioritize our customers’ needs and aim to add tangible value to their operations. We see ourselves not just as suppliers, but as partners in diagnosis and application across multiple areas of animal health.
Human–animal relationships have also evolved. Many dogs now sleep in the same room as their owners. Last year, Ceva delivered 1.9 billion euros in sales worldwide. For the first time, vaccines accounted for half of them, marking a clear shift from treatment to prevention. In 2025, Ceva invested $175 million in R&D: 40% went to viral research, 30% to viral therapy, and the remainder to pharmaceuticals. Vaccines generated 80% of the group’s gross revenue. We have also invested in a Philadelphia-based company with significant potential, and next year we expect to license a nuclease-based therapy product in the U.S. Our portfolio already includes vectorized vaccines and mRNA technologies. Ceva developed the first ARN vaccine against avian influenza, used in France to vaccinate ducks for foie gras production. Over the last decade, Latin America has seen strong growth in protein production and exports.
Debate around Mercosur continues, with concerns in parts of Europe. In France, for example, many consumers still opt for the lowest-priced products, which highlights the need for better information and a more balanced view of trade. France is keen to sell its products in Latin America, yet it is equally important to uphold an open, reciprocal market. Trade should flow in both directions. We are stronger when we draw on the best each country has to offer.
EF: In the Life Sciences sector, many French companies have excelled in the global ecosystem, showcasing France’s innovative mindset. From your vantage, what specific efforts are you currently working on to further strengthen this position?
NC: We continue to invest in the Bordeaux region and maintain a strong industrial presence in France, which allows us to preserve our identity. In 2005, we had 1,200 employees; today, we employ 7,000. The annual turnover we generated back then now represents just one month of activity.
We have grown our domestic market while selectively investing abroad when the right opportunities arise. After assessing several options, we chose to enter the poultry and swine businesses in Mexico. In ruminant, we partnered with Virbac because of its established hormone portfolio. Although we are competitors in Europe, we have built a constructive collaboration in Mexico. Rather than starting from zero in a country where we had neither expertise nor local teams, we chose to work with Virbac, which already has people on the ground and now acts as our distributor.
I see significant potential in the protein sector to drive momentum in animal health and shape our business model. Our priority is to differentiate our offer and strengthen the portfolio, particularly in pharmaceuticals, ensuring that our innovations reach both the market and end consumers effectively.
Customers know that Ceva chose to remain present in their country during difficult periods, like in Venezuela, supporting local producers instead of withdrawing. Today, Ceva is the market leader in that country. Through our local partner for more than 25 years, we lead the Venezuelan market, with 5.5 million in sales in the poultry and swine sectors alone. We intend to build on this momentum and continue delivering meaningful innovation. This approach is part of our DNA.
EF: What should Ceva’s mission be for the next four years in animal health? Where is the market going, and what should we focus on, from a Mexican standpoint?
NC: Mexico faces important challenges in building a reliable export traceability system for exports. While pork exports have begun to grow, the ability to consistently verify disease-free production remains limited. Consumers need confidence that what they purchase is safe and free from contaminants such as Salmonella or avian flu. That level of trust depends on clear oversight and monitoring across the production chain. We are developing vaccines and providing monitoring services to support local producers in meeting these standards. Building trust with producers and authorities is a priority if we expect Mexico to compete with countries like Argentina or Brazil in export markets. At the same time, Mexico continues to import a significant volume of meat, which affects costs, while disease pressures at home undermine profitability. Several sanitary issues still need to be resolved.
Regulation is also playing an increasingly important role in expanding access to new solutions. Current frameworks reflect a cautious approach to emerging technologies such as nucleic therapies. Further modernization of regulatory standards will be key to ensuring that new tools for disease control can be evaluated and deployed more efficiently.
Several cutting-edge therapies already in use in the United States are now gaining visibility in Mexico, creating strong momentum to further define and refine regulatory pathways. Continued alignment in this area can help reduce the time needed for new therapies to reach the market.
Mexico’s market offers significant scale and long-term potential, and ongoing regulatory progress can further enhance access to advanced solutions. Establishing clear guidelines for key challenges such as Salmonella would reinforce preventive approaches and support more resilient production systems. By continuing to evolve toward prevention-focused frameworks, Mexico can both strengthen public health outcomes and consolidate its position as a competitive and reliable exporter in global markets.
EF: Ceva operates in 47 countries and continues to grow. How does Mexico stand out among them? What is Mexico's significance to global Ceva?
NC: At Ceva, our priority is the customer. We understand the strategic importance of Mexico. In such a dynamic market, it is essential for us to be present and to deliver high-quality service solutions.
We don’t see ourselves as simple suppliers but as a long-term partner. When we launched our first in ovo equipment with Cargill, one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies, in Colombia in 2019/20, we first focused on understanding their specific needs in terms of animal welfare, operator safety, and connectivity. This allowed us to design and validate the equipment effectively. Cargill has since expanded automation in Colombia and Costa Rica and is now aiming for similar solutions in other parts of the world.
Mexico and Central America are central to the livestock industry, which represents around 90% of our business. My commitment to prioritizing the customer comes from my own background. I grew up as a farmer’s son, surrounded by poultry. The animal health segment is valued at around 500 million euros, and it continues to grow.
Ceva’s objectives and mission align with the One Health approach, recognizing that around 70% of human infectious diseases originate from animals. To address these risks, we created the Ceva Wildlife Research Fund to support applied research focused on zoonoses. One example is our work on rabies, a disease that can be effectively controlled. Ceva developed an oral rabies vaccine for dogs and foxes, and we have provided free rabies vaccinations for dogs in certain programs; a single injection offers lifelong protection. The Fund has also supported research on diseases affecting koalas in Australia. After devastating fires led to a 30% decline in the koala population, chlamydia emerged as a major cause of reproductive failure. In response, we developed a vaccine and have vaccinated koalas against the disease.
These initiatives are central to Ceva’s mission. We currently employ seven researchers dedicated to targeted programs in this area. We must continue to invest, innovate, and collaborate if we are to address these challenges effectively. I am proud of what we have achieved so far and convinced that, with greater openness to new approaches, the industry can find practical solutions to very specific problems. Other companies also have an important role to play, provided they are willing to assume measured risks and contribute to collective progress.
