Animal Health News & Notes for August 29, 2003

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for August 29, 2003
Copyright © Brakke Consulting, Inc.
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NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER:
You can now use this section to jump directly to a news item about a particular company.  Simply click on the company name. To return to the top of the newsletter, use the scroll button on the right of your email window.
 
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Advanstar Communications
Alcide (earnings)
aLF Ventures
Bringyourpet.com
Ceva Sante Animale (earnings)
Farms Technology
Heska
Merial (scholarships)
Merial (Bader Rutter)
Nexia Biotechnologies
PETsMART (earnings)
Rooster.com
Sanderson Farms (earnings)
Strategic Diagnostics
Thompson Corp.
Trans Ova Genetics
Veterinary Healthcare Communications
 
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COMPANY EARNINGS RELEASES

>  Ceva Sante Animale reported turnover of 102 million euros ($117 million) during the first 6 months of 2003, an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period last year. This growth is  particularly linked to the good results of Europe that compensated for the rise in euro currency and the political and health problems that occurred in Middle East and Asia during this period. The Companion Animal (and particularly products for treatment of behavior problems) and anti-infectives ranges of the CEVA Group have shown good results during this first half of year 2003. (company information)

>  PETsMART, Inc. announced results for its second quarter ended August 4, 2003. The company reported second quarter net income of $28.1 million, compared with net income of $21.5 million in the second quarter of 2002.  Net sales for the second quarter of 2003 were $726 million, compared to $652 million for the same period last year. Comparable store grew 7.9% over the second quarter of last year. Pet services sales for the second quarter were $50.4 million, up $10.9 million or 28% over the second quarter of last year, an increase that reflects the company’s work to develop superior grooming and pet training services and attract a loyal base of customers. The company opened 16 new stores, closed four locations and reformatted 63 stores in the second quarter of 2003. (Business Wire)

> Alcide Corporation released financial results for its fiscal year and fourth quarter ended May 31, 2003.  Alcide earned $353,228 on revenues of $5.6 million during the quarter ended May 31, 2003. In the fourth quarter a year ago, Alcide earned $481,267 on revenues of $5.4 million. Total fiscal year 2003 net income was $1,129,610 on revenues of $21.9 million compared to $1,781,252 on revenues of $22.0 million in the previous year. (Business Wire)

>  Sanderson Farms reported that net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2003 were $233 million, compared with $227 million for the same period a year ago. For the quarter, Sanderson reported net income of $15.4 million compared with net income of $9.3 million for the same period a year ago. Net sales for the first nine months of fiscal 2003 were $617 million, compared with $543 million for the same period a year ago. Net income for the first nine months of the year totaled $33.6 million compared with net income of $22.3 million for the first nine months of last year. (Meating Place)

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2004 U.S. Animal Health
Manufacturers & Distributors Directory

September 19th Deadline for Submitting Free Listing

Each January, Brakke Consulting publishes the US Animal Health Manufacturers and Distributors Directories. In 2004 they will be combined into a single volume for the first time.

Companies listed in the 2003 directories will soon be receiving a copy of the information we currently have in our directory database for their company. Please update the information and return it by fax to 972-243-0925 or by mail to the Dallas office no later than Friday, September 19th. There is no charge to be listed.  Companies that were listed in last year’s directories may also go to our web site and use the  online Directory Listing Form if they have a substantial number of changes in their listing information.

If your company was not in the 2003 directories, you may submit information about your firm to be included in the 2004 directory by going to www.brakkeconsulting.com and clicking on Industry Directory, and then Directory Listing Form.  You can either complete the form online and submit it, or
print the 2-page form, complete it, and return it by fax or by mail to the Dallas office.

If you are interested in placing an order for the directory, go to www.brakkeconsulting.com, click on Industry Directory, and then Order Directory.  Before December 15th, the prepublication price will be $200. After December 15th, the cost of the directory will be $250. They will be shipped around mid-January, 2004.

If you have any questions, please call our office at 972-243-4033 and ask for Jane Morgan or Roger Cummings, or you can send an email to info@brakkeconsulting.com. 

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

>  Advanstar Communications Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a subsidiary of The Thomson Corporation to acquire its portfolio of healthcare industry-specific magazines and related custom project services.  The purchase price of $135 million will be paid in cash, with the transaction expected to close this fall.  The portfolio is composed of three groups: Medical Economics Communications Group; Dental Products Report Group; and Veterinary Healthcare Communications Group. In total, the portfolio includes 15 magazines, one veterinary tradeshow and conference, and a significant special projects group, which includes custom projects, symposia, and continuing medical education (CME) programs, which are produced in multiple media formats. Total revenue for the portfolio being sold to Advanstar was $87.7 million in 2002. Advanstar’s current publications include DVM Newsmagazine and other medical publications. (company press release)

>  Heska Corporation has retained Germinder & Associates, Inc. to handle trade and consumer media relations for the company’s new diagnostics products.  The agency will begin immediate work on Heska Corporation’s E.R.D.-HealthScreen Feline Urine Test, the first in-clinic test developed to identify early kidney damage from potentially undetected health problems in cats.  The test is expected to launch in early September 2003. (company press release)

>  Merial announced that the Merck-Merial Veterinary Scholar Program has awarded more than $350,000 in grants to 19 US veterinary schools for the year 2003, supporting innovative student research in veterinary schools across the country. The grants support a variety of summer programs at the different schools designed to enrich veterinary students’ exposure and experience in biomedical research. In addition, students and faculty from these veterinary schools recently met at Kansas State University for a three-day symposium to share ideas and learn about each other’s research. At the symposium, 120 research papers were presented and discussed, representing diverse topics ranging from basic to applied science.  (company press release)

>  Merial has named Bader Rutter & Associates agency of record for its equine products in the US. Bader Rutter will provide complete integrated brand communications services for the US division of the Merial Equine Global Enterprise. (company press release)

>  The emerging field of animal and plant biotechnology is reaching into the area of bioterrorism research. Trans Ova Genetics has bred cows with human genes, cloned and inoculated with such biological agents as anthrax, smallpox and botulism, in the hope that they eventually will produce human antibodies that could be administered as an antidote after a biological attack. The Defense Department contributed $3.3 million to the Trans Ova project. Nexia Biotechnologies, which was awarded a $2.67 million contract from the Army, has genetically altered goats that are producing a human “bioscavenger” protein that could be injected into people to protect them against nerve agents such as VX and sarin gas. Such inoculations could eliminate the need for soldiers to wear gas masks on the battlefield. (AnimalNet – Knight-Ridder Tribune)

>  Strategic Diagnostics Inc. reported that the AOAC Research Institute has certified the company’s RapidChek for Salmonella test for a variety of food groups, including whole milk, orange juice, liquid eggs, raw cabbage, and deli turkey. The test was previously validated for use in raw meat and poultry and earned the institute’s Performance Tested certification. (Business Wire)

>  Farms Technology LLC announced it has purchased the business assets of Rooster.com and Pradium.com as the high bidder in bankruptcy court.  Farms Technology stated that its goal is to transform the recognized website Rooster.com into a neutral grain trading platform.  Rooster.com and Pradium had merged in early 2001.  (Feedstuffs)

>  The FDA approved the use of lactoferrin to spray on beef carcasses to remove bacteria such as E. coli 0157:H7. The USDA has also granted an approval for using lactoferrin as a carcass rinse during processing to further protect beef from harmful bacteria. aLF Ventures LLC petitioned the FDA to endorse the product as safe for consumers. In their research, scientists with aLF Ventures found that spraying lactoferrin on raw beef carcasses inhibits the growth of E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter and prevents them from attaching to meat surfaces. The company also submitted scientific data showing that use of lactoferrin is safe for individuals who are allergic to milk. aLF Ventures, LLC was created by National Beef Packing Company LLC, DMV International and Farmland Industries to guide widespread commercialization of activated lactoferrin in the fresh meat marketplace. The carcass processing aid technology, which will be marketed as Activin by aLF Ventures, will be in use at National Beef plants beginning in October of this year. (Drovers Alert)

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Central Veterinary Conference
Kansas City, MO

Over 2000 veterinarians, 600 technicians and 140 practice managers attended the 2003 Central Veterinary Conference.  In all, there were more than 6000 attendees at this year’s conference.  We congratulate Veterinary Healthcare Communications on producing a successful conference and wish them continued success in their new association with Advanstar Communications.

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
 
>  US   The USDA has stated it would begin issuing permits to allow some Canadian beef into the US this week. The USDA began accepting applications for Canadian beef import permits on Aug. 8, partially lifting the ban on beef and cattle that had been in place since May 20, when a single BSE case was discovered. (Meating Place)

>  SWITZERLAND    A second case of feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE), a disease affecting the brain tissue of cats, has been recorded in Switzerland. The veterinary authorities said the likely cause of the infection, which is similar to BSE, was contaminated pet food. The first case of FSE was reported 2 years ago. Experts say the disease poses no health risk for people.  According to DEFRA’s BSE-site’s update of 30 Jun 2003, 89 FSE cases have been diagnosed in the UK so far, the last one in 2001. Five additional cases have been reported outside the UK, in Ireland, Norway, Liechtenstein (one case each), and Switzerland (2 cases, including the current one). In addition, 21 cases of TSE regarded to be FSE have been reported in exotic felids in zoos. (AnimalNet – ProMED)

>  Canada’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lyle Vanclief, US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, and Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Javier Usabiaga have jointly called on the Organization of International Epizootics (OIE) to encourage a more current practical, risk-based approach to BSE.  Their objective is to assure consumers worldwide of a safe food supply and to address international trade issues that arise upon discovery of the disease in a given national herd. They emphasize that the critical need for an internationally agreed upon science-based trade response calls for an international dialogue to develop a more practical, risk-based approach to trade. (Wattnet Meatnews)

>  US   The EPA is proposing to cancel liquid and dust use of the pesticide carbaryl on pets, in addition to other uses.  The carbaryl registrant is voluntarily canceling all pet uses except for flea collars.  (Journal of the AVMA)

> US   BringYourPet.com has made traveling with your pet easier by listing hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs, cabins and condos that provide for traveling pets.  Along with state-by-state listings, the Website offers free and helpful information regarding pet care, travel tips and links to other pet sites. (PRNewswire)

>  US   Marshall Field’s department store is opening an upscale dog boutique in its flagship store in Chicago.  While Marshall Field has carried pet accessories on a limited seasonal basis, Down Town Dog will be its first permanent collection.  (Pet Product News)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT

How time flies when you’re having fun!  I was reminded this week that the Brakke newsletter is celebrating its fourth year of providing the animal health industry with a summary of the news and events of the week.  Later today, you will receive a special edition of the newsletter that summarizes some of the key activities of the past 12 months.  It is an impressive list.

Brakke Consulting will continue to produce and improve the newsletter as a communication vehicle for our clients and the industry.  During the next few weeks and months, we’ll be asking each of our readers to provide us with updated information so that we can better serve your needs.  Please take a few seconds to reply when the request comes your way.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day.

Ron Brakke

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