A search of the FML archives brought up this post, originally published
in the CDFA newsletter and posted on the FML Jan 16, 1995
http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9501&
L=ferret-search&P=R11051
 
It was written by Dr Rene Gandolfi, a California vet, who still treats
ferrets.  He attended the 2002 International Ferret Symposium in Las
Vegas.
 
> ...there is only one FDA-approved distemper vaccine for use in
>ferrets-FerVac-D, produced by United Vaccines, Inc.  of Madison,
>Wisconsin.  A second commonly used vaccine-Fromm-D, produced by Solvay
>Animal Health, Inc. of Mendota Heights, Minnesota-is no longer available
>and has been replaced by Solvay's Galaxy-D.
...
>Fromm-D was never adopted by the FDA for ferrets, but years of use in
>thousands of ferrets demonstrated its safety.  Galaxy-D is produced from
>the same seed strain of canine origin distemper virus, and is attenuated
>on chick embryo (the same as Fromm-D).  In the final step of growth for
>packaging, the vaccine is produced in tissue culture instead of egg
>culture as was done for Fromm-D.  Therefore, Galaxy-D os exactly the
>same as Fromm-D except for this one last step.
>
>While Solvay does not claim Galaxy-D is the same, the company does
>expect it will perform just like Fromm-D and that similar "third party"
>supporting evidence will be developed.
 
I recall there being a letter writing campaign to try to get Solvay to do
the testing necessary to have Galaxy licensed for use in ferrets (even
then there were concerns about high reaction rates with Fervac), but it
never happened.  Some time later, Solvay sold Galaxy to Schering Plough
(or was it just that the company changed names??), who markets it now.
 
Linda Iroff
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4550]