This Week in Animal Health: FDA Continues to Add Emergency Use Authorizations

ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS & NOTES · AUGUST 14, 2026
Editor: Christine Merle DVM, MBA, CVPM

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Earnings News

• ImmuCell announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2026 with revenue of $7.2M up 11.5% over prior year. (company press release)
• PetMed Express (PetMeds, PetCareRx) reported its first quarter of the fiscal year 2026 with net sales of $41M, a decrease of 19.9% versus the prior year period. Net Loss was $6.1M – the interim president highlighted the acquisition of 70,000 new customers while reducing their acquisition cost per new customer by 15%. (company press release)

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US Company News

• Merck announced the USDA approval of INNOVAX ND-IBD-ILT, asingle hatchery recombinant vaccine to provide protection against Newcastle disease, infectious bursal disease, infectious laryngotracheitis and Marek’s disease. (company press release) 
• The FDAhas issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Elanco’s CLiK Extra (dicyclanil topical suspension) wound spray for application on or around wounds for the prevention of New World screwworm infestations in several species including certain captive and captured wildlife. (government press release) 
• The FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Zoetis’ SimparicaTRIO for the treatment of New World Screwworm infestations in dogs and puppies. (government press release) 
• IDEXXannounced the launch of dual species NT-proBNP test, expanding into point of care cardiac disease testing on its Catalyst platform. (company press release)
  
• PetVivoHolding and VetStem entered into a Termination and Settlement Agreement ending their exclusive license and supply agreement related to the PrecisePRP product line. (vet-advantage.com)
  
• ECO Animal Healthsigned an exclusive in-licensing agreement with Vaxianano SAS, a biotechnology company, for its sheep vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis. (company press release)
  
• The US Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to stop Arrow Reliance, doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, from manufacturing and distributing pet food until the company complies withfederal food safety requirements. (com) 
• Trupanionannounced enhancements to its free, veterinary education courses, offering support to veterinary teams on navigating cost-of- care (company press release)  It also announced a new partnership with Home To Home, a direct pet rehoming platform. (company press release)
  
• National Veterinary Associates(NVA) announced the appointment of Leslie Storms as Chief Operating Officer and Dr. Stacy Burdick’s as Chief Medical Officer – both roles will oversee the entire network of ~1,300 hospitals – both general and specialty and emergency hospitals. (co)
  
• Misson Pet Healthreleased a position opposing the veterinary professional associate (VPA) role. (com)
  
• PetVet365is the first group of veterinary hospitals to receive the Certified Autism Center designation. (company press release)
  
• PetAghas expanded its distribution partnership with Tractor Supply, adding additional products to their stores. (com)
  
• Inventory Allyannounced that they have been selected as Midwest Veterinary Supply’s preferred Inventory Management Partner for its mClub (company press release)
  
• Wolters Kluwer Healthannounced the availability of Medi-Span Vet Meds, an embedded drug data and screening solution for S. pharmacies. (company press release)
  
• Spoodleannounced the availability of AAHA guidelines within Verum, its free clinical intelligence tool. (company press release)
  
• Vetspire, an AI operating system for veterinary practices, announced a significant growth investment from Battery Ventures, a global, technology-focused investment firm. (company press release)

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Brakke Consulting News
Attending the 2026 KC Animal Health Summit? Let’s Connect.

Brakke Consulting will be attending the 2026 KC Animal Health Summit, August 31–September 1 in Kansas City. If you’ll be attending, we’d welcome the opportunity to meet with you.

Whether you’re exploring growth opportunities, evaluating market trends, planning a transaction, or strengthening your commercial strategy, our team is ready to discuss how Brakke Consulting can support your goals.

We’ll also be participating in the Summit’s 1:1 Business Partnering program and scheduling meetings throughout the event. Request a meeting through the partnering platform or contact us in advance.

We look forward to seeing you in Kansas City!

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International Company News

• ASIA/FR – Better Pharma Co, an Asian veterinary pharmaceutical leader, has received exclusive global rights from Ceva Animal Healthto manufacture, license and distribute Pracetam (Paracetamol) an oral based solution for livestock. (com)
• AU/ ID – A joint venture including a 25% equity investment (US$2.5B) by Indonesia’s Dantara Investment Managementinto JBS’s Australia and New Zealand is part of a strategic partnership to expand presence and capital for growth opportunities across the region. (com)
• CA – Zomedicaannounced a strategic collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada to support the placement of TRUFORMA analyzers in participating equine veterinary practices across Canada by providing complementary diagnostic testing for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. (company press release)
• CH – Boehringer Ingelheimannounced the acquisition of Evax AG, a Swiss biotech company focused on equine health. (company press release)
• UK – Petscribers, a secure e-prescribing platform, was named the winner of Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Award. (org)
• UK – The Veterinary Defence Society(VDS) is preparing the launch of VetResolve, a digital complaints management platform. (org)

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Animal Health Industry News

• US – The USDA has made $35M available for partnership to combat feral swine. (com)
• US – Confirmed cases of human tularemia (rabbit fever) resulting from high tick activity in the Northeast and Midwest, are putting veterinary teams on alert of this rare zoonotic disease. (com)
• US – The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a proposed rule to require manufacturers to notify the FDA when they conclude that the use of a substance added to human or animal food is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). Currently the notification has been voluntary.  In addition, the HSS and USDA have submitted a proposed definition of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) for final review. (government press release)
• US – PetSmart Charities announced the launch of The PetSmart Charities Veterinary Fellowship program, partnering with five universities the program will provide financial support and a structured professional experience during veterinary school and into the first four years of clinical practice. (yahoo.com)
• US – A studyshowed that human veterinary clinicians/students outperformed an AI -enabled digital stethoscope in detecting cardiac murmurs and arrhythmias in pets. (org) while another study showed that an AI powered tool measuring canine heart size from radiographs could provide comparable accuracy to trained clinicians. (eurekalert.org)

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Brakke Consulting Viewpoint
Brazil’s Veterinary Market Is Moving Fast — Is Your Fund Already Behind? 

Brazil, Latin America’s largest veterinary service market is also the most globally dynamic market and its being reshaped in real time. The window to get in early is narrowing. Markets that grow this fast don’t wait for latecomers. New challenges are emerging inside the veterinary profession, yes, but so are windows of opportunity that won’t stay open for long.

SINDAN, the animal health industry association, conducts the RadarVet survey to capture the profile of small-animal veterinarians in Brazil and track how it evolves over time. With competition intensifying — driven by a growing number of veterinary schools across the country — veterinary professionals are adapting fast. Three clear dimensions of change are already reshaping the small-animal veterinary market:

• Specialization beyond general practice. Surgery, dermatology, and anesthesiology stand out as three of the most sought-after specialties — and demand is only accelerating.

• Explosive growth in the number of veterinary establishments nationwide.

• A decisive shift toward contract-free work, with veterinarians increasingly practicing autonomously rather than being tied to a single clinic or hospital — upending the traditional employment model that investors have relied on to size this market.

And here’s the piece that should really catch an investor’s attention: a broader ecosystem is emerging around pet owners and their animals. Veterinarians are building support networks that offer products and services to dogs and cats treated as full-fledged family members — connecting owners to specialists in health, nutrition, and wellness. This isn’t a niche trend; it’s the next layer of value creation in the market, and it’s forming right now, ahead of where most capital is looking. Investors who wait for the data to be obvious will be buying at a very different price than those who act on what’s visible today.

Want to understand the Brazilian market as a gateway for investment before the window narrows further? Get in touch — let’s talk now.

Mauri Ronan Moreira
Senior Consultant, Brazil

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Your View

Last week, we asked how potential liability concerns with the use of AI has affected your use of AI at work.  The majority felt liability is a concern with 41% verifying everything when using AI and 39% reviewing the results. Another 11% are so concerned that they avoid AI completely while 9% accept the infallibility of us and AI without liability concern. Make sure you look at the two studies on AI powered tools compared to humans in this week’s newsletter.

Stayin on AI again for this week’s question, As AI diagnostic tools become more common in veterinary medicine, how do you think they should be used in clinical decision-making?

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Brakke Stock Table