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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for December 21, 2007
Copyright © Brakke Consulting, Inc.
Editor: Lynn Fondon, DVM, MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
other news
Abviva
BASF
Biogal Galed Labs
Bioniche
Chr. Hansen
Franck’s Pharmacy
Island Pharmacy Services
Itochu
MediPharm
Prion Developmental Laboratories
Tyson Foods
Zagro Group
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2008 U.S. Animal Health Industry Overview
As we’ve done for a number of years, Brakke Consulting will be presenting our 2008 Animal Health Industry Overview at both the North American Veterinary Conference and the Western Veterinary Conference.
NAVC:
Monday, January 21, 2008
2:00 – 4:00 pm
WVC:
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
2:00 – 4:00 pm
The Overview will contain industry highlights and the 2008 outlook, industry statistics in key product markets, recent financial/acquisition activity, observation of leading companies, veterinary practice trends update, summary data from Brakke multi-client studies, and more. To register, go to www.Brakkeconsulting.com and follow the link to register for the Overview of your choice.
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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
> Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. announced that it has received $10 million in Ontario government financing in support of its vaccine production facility scale-up in Belleville, Ontario. The $10 million repayable loan has been provided through the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT)’s Advanced Manufacturing Investment Strategy (AMIS). The company’s E. coli O157:H7 cattle vaccine will be the first product manufactured in the scaled-up production facility. (newswire.ca)
> Franck’s Pharmacy Compounding Lab announced it has acquired Island Pharmacy Services in a move to expand its veterinary compounding business. Franck’s says the purchase will add about 8,000 patients and 4,000 prescribing veterinarians to its customer base. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Animal Pharm)
> Chr. Hansen announced a conditional agreement to acquire Swedish Arla Foods’ subsidiary Medipharm AB. Medipharm specializes in probiotic bacterial solutions for the agricultural and food industries and has subsidiaries in the US, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The acquisition of Medipharm will strengthen Chr. Hansen’s activities in probiotic cultures. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Feedstuffs)
> Abviva, formerly known as Genesis Bioventures, entered a letter of intent to acquire Prion Developmental Laboratories (PDL). PDL is owned by majority shareholder Efoora Incorporated. PDL manufactues the BSE Rapid Assay, which claims to detect BSE in less than an hour. The company intends to seek marketing approval from the USDA in the first quarter of 2008. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Animal Pharm)
> Tyson Foods Inc. and the USDA have agreed to new and more informative labeling for the company’s Raised Without Antibiotics chicken program. Tyson and USDA have approved the following language on the company’s product labels: “Chicken Raised Without Antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans.” Tyson began seeking modified wording in November after USDA notified the company that the government had mistakenly approved its original label even though the company uses ionophores as an ingredient in its chicken feed. (Feedstuffs)
> Biogal Galed Labs announced the international launch of the new ImmunoComb Canine Brucella Antibody Test Kit. The kit was developed following the concern of veterinarians and breeders worldwide over cases of abortions caused by Brucella canis in breeding kennels. The company anticipates a US approval and launch in 2008. (company press release)
> JAPAN, TAIWAN BASF announced the sale of its Japanese premix business to Itochu, and the sale of its Taiwanese animal nutrition premix business to Zagro Group. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Animal Pharm)
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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
> CANADA – BSE A 13-year-old beef cow from Alberta was confirmed as Canada’s latest case of BSE. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that the animal’s carcass is under CFIA control and no part of it entered the food or feed system. The case marks Canada’s 11th confirmed case of BSE. the case confirmed Tuesday was born before the implementation of Canada’s ban on ruminant-to-ruminant feeding in 1997. (CanadianCattlemen.ca)
> US – TRACEABILITY FOR CLONED MEAT The nation’s leading livestock cloning companies announced a tracking program using a supply chain management system that will allow food companies to identify cloned animals when they move into the food processing chain. Cloning companies will give each cloned animal a unique ID, which will be entered into a registry that can be queried and verified by the livestock auction market or packer/processor. The new owner will sign an affadavit committing to proper marketing or disposal, and is returned an incentive deposit from the cloning company when they notify the company of death, consumption by owner, or sale with proper verification. (AnimalNet)
> US – ANIMAL ID The USDA released its draft of a Business Plan for Advancing Animal Disease Traceability. The business plan supports the 48-hour traceback long-term goal of the National Animal Identification System as well as provides benchmarks to guide the program as it moves toward optimum traceability. USDA also released the official version of the National Animal Identification System User Guide, which replaces the November 2006 draft version. To see the documents, go to http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml . (Drovers Alert)
> US – NEW SWINE INFLUENZA STRAIN Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers have identified a new strain of swine influenza — H2N3 — with a molecular twist: it is composed of avian and swine influenza genes. The research team studied an unknown pathogen that in 2006 infected two groups of pigs at separate production facilities. Both groups of pigs used water obtained from ponds frequented by migrating waterfowl. Molecular studies indicated the unknown pathogen was an H2N3 influenza virus closely related to an H2N3 strain found in mallard ducks. However, this was the first time it had been observed in mammals. (Feedstuffs)
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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
All of us at Brakke Consulting want to wish each of our subscribers and clients an enjoyable and safe Holiday Season!
Ron Brakke
Ken Berkholtz
Raymond Collier
Lynn Fondon
Jim Guenther
Atsuo Hata
Jay Lockhart
John Mannhaupt
Susan Mannhaupt
Christine Merle
Richard Miles
Jane Morgan
Kevin Scott
John Volk
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Dallas, TX 75234 USA
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