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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for March 29, 2024
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting News
2024 Pain Management Products report
Earnings News
Kane Biotech
Other News
Ankyra Therapeutics
Argenta
Bain Capital Ventures
Boehringer Ingelheim
Ceva Animal Health
Chick-fil-A
Covetrus
Hendrix Genetics
HerdWhistle Technologies
Jenga Biosciences
Loyal
Merck
Nestlé Purina PetCare
PetIQ
Telomir Pharmaceuticals
VetVerifi
Virbac
Zoetis
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Brakke Consulting
2024 PAIN MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS FOR DOGS AND CATS
ORDER BY APRIL 12 FOR EARLY-ORDER DISCOUNT
Is your company up-to-date on the latest trends in this important category? New, innovative products like LIBRELA and SOLENSIA are changing the pain management paradigm.
Brakke Consulting’s annual report on Pain Management Products for Dogs and Cats includes such valuable information as:
- estimates of US sales and prices of leading products
- review of new and upcoming pain management products, including monoclonal antibody products SOLENSIA and LIBRELA
- discussion of the use of cannabinoids in veterinary pain management
- 2024 survey of 300 small animal veterinarians regarding use of pain management products
Pain Management Products for Dogs and Cats 2024 can be purchased for $7,995 if ordered by April 12, 2024, and $8,995 thereafter. The report will be completed in May. Questions about the study can be answered by project manager Lynn Fondon, DVM, MBA at info@brakkeconsulting.com.
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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES
- Kane Biotech announced its full year 2023 financial results. Total revenue was C$2.8 million (US$2.1M), an increase of 6%. Net loss for the year was (C$5.3) million (US$3.9M), an increase of 38% compared to the prior year. (company press release)
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ANIMAL HEALTH JOBS
Are you searching for the perfect candidate to join your team in the dynamic world of Animal Health and Nutrition?
At Animal Health Jobs, we take pride in being the best resource for connecting companies with exceptional talent in the industry. With a resume database of nearly 4,000 talented and experienced candidates, AHJ is your partner for finding the best fit for your team.
Why choose Animal Health Jobs?
Specialized Expertise: Our exclusive focus on the animal health and nutrition industries gives us a unique edge in understanding your needs and matches them with qualified professionals who share your passion.
Your Success, Our Priority: Your success story begins with the right team. Let us help you craft that story by introducing you to the ideal candidate who aligns with your company’s values and goals.
Don’t let the competition snatch up top-tier talent before you do. Join forces with Animal Health Jobs and open the door to your next great hire. Act Now! Explore our talent pool and post your job opening today at www.animalheatlhjobs.com Your ideal candidate is just a click away!
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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
- Merck Animal Health announced it has received license approval from the USDA for Sequivity with Microsol Diluvac Forte (MDF) adjuvant prescription vaccine for use in gilts and sows. The Sequivity vaccine prescription platform creates custom products for influenza, rotavirus, PCV3, sapovirus and more. (swineweb)
- The European Commission announced a formal investigation into Zoetis to probe whether the company violated the region’s antitrust rules by terminating a rival to its dog pain therapy Librela. According to regulators, while developing Librela, Zoetis acquired another late-stage pipeline targeting the same indication; then subsequently terminated its development and refused to transfer its rights to a third party with exclusive regional commercial rights for the product. The investigation was initiated following a complaint from Virbac. Zoetis has responded that it believes that both the acquisition of the compound and the subsequent decision to cease development of it were sound, rigorous and lawful. (seekingalpha)
- Covetrus announced the introduction of vRxPro, a next generation, comprehensive, online prescription management solution. Covetrus vRxPro offers a catalog of more than 10,000 veterinarian-recommended products. In addition, Covetrus vRxPro offers a mobile-first, practice-branded online pharmacy storefront. (prnewswire)
- Nestlé Purina PetCare announced the official opening of a 1.3-million-square-foot pet food factory in Eden, North Carolina. This marks the 23rd Purina manufacturing operation in the U.S. (Pet Business)
- PetIQ has closed 149 veterinary practices located inside stores of partners that include Walmart, Meijer and Tractor Supply Co., reducing PetIQ’s veterinary practice count from 282 to 133. At the same time, PetIQ is considering adding practices under a new Walmart-branded format. (VIN News)
- Ankyra Therapeutics and Jenga Biosciences announced an exclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize JEN-101 (formerly known as cANK-101), a pre-clinical immuno-oncology agent based on Ankyra’s anchored platform. JEN-101 is composed of a fully canine interleukin-12 (IL-12) complexed with aluminum hydroxide; the company has completed an exploratory study of JEN-101 in dogs with advanced melanoma. (Yahoo finance)
- Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced that Telomir and Argenta have agreed to begin a three to six-months study on the efficacy of Telomir-1, a novel small molecule that lengthens the DNA’s protective telomere caps, as a treatment for osteoarthritis and other diseases of aging in canines. (com)
- Loyal announced that it has successfully completed its Series B funding round, securing $45 million in investment. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from Valor Equity Partners and most of Loyal’s major existing investors from earlier rounds. (Yahoo finance)
- VetVerifi announced the successful closure of its pre-seed fundraise, securing $1.5 million in capital. Among the notable investors are Bitwerx Inc., Market Square Ventures, InvestTN, Digitalis Mars Companion Fund, R/GA Ventures, and Michelson Found Animals Foundation Impact Investment Fund. (company press release)
- Chick-fil-A has become the latest company to back off a pledge to never serve chicken that was fed antibiotics. The restaurant chain plans to utilize a looser industry standard that is becoming more standard to not use chickens that have been fed any antibiotics important to human medicine, which has been recognized by both the USDA and the World Health Organization. (seekingalpha)
- FRANCE France has selected Boehringer Ingelheim and Ceva Animal Health to supply a second round of avian influenza vaccines as part of a vaccination campaign that started in autumn last year. Deliveries are due to begin in April. (Economic Times)
- CANADA HerdWhistle Technologies and Hendrix Genetics announced they have jointly developed an automated phenotypic multispectral imaging system to acquire data on pigs. The collaboration emerged from five years of engagement, leveraging the combined expertise of both companies. (Feedstuffs)
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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER
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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
- US – DAIRY ILLNESS The USDA, FDA and CDC, as well as state veterinary and public health officials, are investigating an illness among primarily older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico that is causing decreased lactation, low appetite, and other symptoms. As of Monday, March 25, unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health. (USDA)
- US – VACCINATION GUIDELINES American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine released a revised consensus statement on leptospirosis that updates its guidance and now recommends all dogs be vaccinated for leptospirosis annually rather than every three years. (Vet Advantage)
- WORLD – LIVESTOCK MEDICINE The World Veterinary Association, in collaboration with global welfare organization Brooke, has unveiled a new global essential veterinary medicines list for food-producing animals. The initial phase of the project has focused on equids, large ruminants, pigs, goats and sheep. Work on a second stage, which will concentrate on poultry and rabbits, is already underway, while the third phase will look at aquaculture and bees. (VetTimes)
- US – BRD VACCINES A Louisiana State University researcher has developed a new vaccine against bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and related illnesses. The researcher took bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) and genetically modified it to provide the protective proteins of bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 & 2 (BVDV 1 & 2), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). According to the researcher, who has applied for a patent for the vaccine, there is no chance for the vaccine virus to spread and circulate in the cattle population. (Feedstuffs)
- US – DRUG APPLICATIONS The FDA has made available a webinar intended to help developers and sponsors of animal biotechnology products learn more about how the agency reviews next generation sequencing (NGS) data submitted as part of an application, as well as how to electronically submit these data using the FDA’s precisionFDA platform. (FDA)
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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
What do you think of when you see a pig? Do you start to salivate thinking about bacon, ham, a big juicy pork chop or a slab of ribs? Rick Slayman, a 62-year old Massachusetts resident with end-stage kidney disease sees pigs as a potential ticket to a dialysis-free life.
On March 21, doctors at Mass General Hospital performed the first transplant of a genetically modified kidney from a pig. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, approximately 27,000 kidneys were transplanted in 2023. However, the waitlist for human kidneys has approximately 89,000 individuals on it. Just think about how many people could live a productive, happy, healthy life if this operation proves to be a complete success. This could potentially eliminate the largest barrier to transplantation which is organ supply.
The most critical obstacle to the use of animal organs in humans is organ rejection. The kidney used in this procedure was genetically modified by eGenesis Bio to increase human compatibility. eGenesis employed new technology to make 69 precise edits to the pig’s DNA (snipping certain characteristics out and adding others) to try to prevent the human body from seeing the kidney as a foreign body. That, combined with monoclonal antibody treatments to reduce the likelihood of rejection, provide a possible pathway for animal organ transplantation.
Think again as you stare at that slab of ribs smothered in barbeque sauce. Pigs might not only be a sustainable food supply but might provide a hugely critical source of organs for critical care human patients.
Randy Freides
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YOUR VIEW
Last week, we asked whether you thought manufacturers or distributors received higher ratings in our 2023 Sales Force Effectiveness Study. It was close, but 57% of you said manufacturers did, and 43% said distributors.
In fact, distributors were rated more highly than manufacturers. Based on the 2023 SFES, distributors as a group received significantly higher mean ratings than manufacturers for 80% of the attributes that evaluated company attributes, and nearly three-quarters of the attributes that evaluated sales representatives.
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