Animal Health News & Notes for November 8, 2002

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for November 8, 2002
Copyright © Brakke Consulting, Inc.
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COMPANY EARNINGS RELEASES

>  PetMed Express, Inc. announced results for the quarter ended September 30, 2002. Net sales for the quarter ended September 30, 2002 were $14.2 million, compared to $7.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2001, an increase of 83%. Net sales for the six months ended September 30, 2002 was $29.1 million, compared to $13.1 million for the six months ended September 30, 2001, an increase of 121%. PetMed Express also reported new customer growth of approximately 114,000 customers for the second quarter of fiscal 2003, with 47% of those new customers ordering through the company website. (Business Wire)

>  Church & Dwight Co., Inc. reported third quarter 2002 net income of $17.6 million, a 13.5% increase over the $15.2 million in the same period last year.  Total Church & Dwight sales for the third quarter, excluding Armkel and other affiliates, increased 10.7% to $263.8 million from $238.4 million last year. This increase is primarily due to the Arrid antiperspirant and Lambert Kay pet care product lines acquired from Carter-Wallace late in 2001. (Business Wire)

>  Heska Corporation reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2002. During the third quarter of 2002, Companion Animal Health product revenue increased approximately 5% from the comparable quarter in 2001 to $7.6 million. Food Animal Health Product revenue decreased approximately 30% from the comparable quarter in 2001 to $2.7 million.  (company website)

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

>  Doane Pet Care Company announced recently that it is reviewing the potential sale of its European petfood business. The company said it anticipated that any potential sale would be completed in the first half of 2003, and the net proceeds from any such sale would be used to pay down the company’s outstanding senior debt. (Petfood Industry enews)

>   Pfizer Inc. announced that it is selling its Tetra aquarium and pond supply business for $238.5 million to the Triton Fund, a European investment fund.  The move is part of a push by the company to sell units that don’t fit its strategic focus.  Pfizer acquired Tetra as part of its acquisition of Warner-Lambert two years ago. (AP)

>  Alltech announced that it received ISO 9001:2000 approval of its complete production processes at manufacturing headquarters in Nicholasville, KY. ISO 9001:2000 is an internationally recognized accreditation of quality production requiring detailed documentation of each part of the production process to prove that it meets the highest standards. (company press release)

>  Virbac Corporation announced  that the FDA has approved Genesis, a new patented topical pharmaceutical that controls allergic skin disease in dogs with an expected lower incidence of side effects than observed in currently available systemic treatments, such as oral and injectable steroids.  (Business Wire)

>  Virbac Corporation, launched a new formulation of Petrodex Dental Treats or Cats in new, resealable pouches to lock in freshness. The veterinarian-approved treats feature an exclusive patented enzyme formula, which is clinically proven to reduce plaque and tartar buildup. Petrodex Dental Treats for Cats are made with freeze-dried fish, with a naturally abrasive texture to help loosen tartar. (Petfood Industry enews)

>  Bayer launched BayerDVM.com, a website designed for veterinarians and hospital staff.  The site features product information, field trial data, research papers, and client support materials.  (Veterinary Practice News)

>  Merial is now the exclusive sponsor of Petfinder.com, the largest online database of homeless pets, representing more than 4000 rescue groups and shelters in the US and Canada.  (Veterinary Practice News)

> IDEXX Laboratories announced that it will open a regional reference laboratory serving the more than 700 veterinary practices in Baltimore/Washington, DC and surrounding areas, with service beginning in November. (Business Wire)

>  Digital Angel announced that it received a US patent for its latest subdermal microchip.  The new chip features a smaller core unit, leaving more room for a larger, more powerful antenna, increasing the chip’s range and speeding up the reading of the chip.  The new chip is also more amenable to mass production.  (Veterinary Practice News)

>  Lonza filed a series of patent infringement lawsuits against Carnitech Inc., Barrington Chemical Corp., Stauber Performance Ingredients, DNP International Co., and Axel Chemicals.  The lawsuits allege patent infringement covering the production of solid oral dosage forms of L-carnitine L-tartrate for enteral administration.  Lonza carnitine products are beneficial nutrients used in swine, poultry, and racing animals.  (Feedstuffs)

>  ProdiGene and Sigma-Aldrich announced the signing of an agreement under which Sigma-Aldrich will manufacture and distribute TrypZean, an animal-free recombinant trypsin produced with ProdiGene’s proprietary transgenic plant system.    The companies state that this is the first product launch by any company of a large-scale transgenic plant protein.  (Feedstuffs)

>  Bio-Medical Services recently launched a quarterly four-page newsletter for veterinary clinics.  The Bio-Medical Allergen Report is an educational tool for veterinary practices, covering allergies in dogs, cats and horses.  (Veterinary Practice News)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING, INC.
Animal Health and Nutrition Industry Overview
to be presented in New York City December 2, 2002

At the request of several clients. Brakke Consulting has decided to kick off the annual 2003 Animal Health and Nutrition session early by holding a three-hour industry seminar and information program at the Princeton Club in New York City from 2:00 – 5:00 pm on December 2.

The presentation will include information including sales estimates for 2002 and the 2003 outlook for leading companies and products.  It will also cover US and international trends for:
– nutritional and medicinal feed additives
– flea, tick and heartworm products
– the evolving pain management market
– pet nutrition
– food safety and animal welfare and its impact on industry

There will be a fee of $300 per attendee, with discounts for multiple registrations from one company.  Attendees will be provided with an outline of the presentation at the time of the overview. 

Attendance is limited to the first 30 registrations, so sign up now!  There are only 3 spaces remaining.

For registration information, please call 972-243-4033. 

NOTE: Due to a power outage, we may not have received all online registrations.  If you registered for the conference and have not received a confirmation from Ms. Jane Morgan, please call 972-243-4033 to confirm your registration.

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

>  US   A federal judge ruled that the national beef checkoff is constitutional, even as similar programs have been struck down by other federal judges as a violation of free speech. (AP)

>  US  Skylark Meats Inc. is recalling 110,000 pounds of ground beef distributed nationwide that may be contaminated with E. coli, according to the USDA.  Tests showed that a sample was tainted with the deadly bacteria. No illnesses have been reported. (AP)

>  US   A national animal identification workplan, developed by a task force representing more than 30 livestock organizations, was accepted through unanimous resolution at the meeting of the US Animal Health Association Committee on Livestock Identification.  This support by the USAHA is a positive step toward the establishment of a national identification program and system for US animal agriculture.  (company press release)

>  US   A professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine has developed a testing method for Johne’s disease that quantifies animal’s level of infection. The new technique, used in conjunction with the standard blood test, classifies test results into five levels: negative, suspect, weak positive, positive and strong positive. Each level has a recommendation for the cow’s management, from segregating those with weak positive results to immediately culling all cows that test strong positive.  Details about the improved testing method for Johne’s disease are published in the November issue of Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology; the testing method will be made available to diagnostic laboratories nationwide within six months. (AnimalNet – UW Madison)

>   An international research team identified the gene responsible for insecticide resistance in the common fruit fly.  Findings could have a profound effect on the long-term efficacy of future pest control agents.  The team’s research showed that overactivity of a single gene alone was sufficient and necessary for insecticide resistance to occur. (Veterinary Practice News)

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Alltech Feed Industry Symposiun

The 19th Alltech Feed Industry Symposium will be held May 12-14, 2003 in Lexington, Kentucky.  The symposium will include individual species meetings along with industry-wide presentations. Two new sections have been added for 2003 – agronomics and aquaculture.  Last year’s symposium was attended by over 1,000 feed industry professionals from 65 countries. Over 70 papers were presented covering the ruminant, swine, poultry, equine, and pet, as well as human, food industries.
For more information about the Alltech 19th Annual Feed Industry Symposium, contact Ms. Carol Johnson, 3031 Catnip Hill Pike, Nicholasville, KY 40356, Tel: +1-859-887-3328; E-mail: cjuett@alltech.com.

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT

We now have the 2002 elections, the drought, and the 2003 budget process behind us.  All three required a certain amount of tolerance in order to maintain a positive perspective on life and career.  Now, the main worry is how we’ll deliver the final sales numbers for 2002 without taking too much out of the first quarter of 2003.

The good news is that the holiday season is approaching rapidly and most of us will lighten our workloads a bit and spend time with family. 

Have a great weekend.

[Ron Brakke]

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