Animal Health News & Notes for April 11, 2025

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for April 11, 2025
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting News
Brakke Search

Earnings News
Cal-Maine Foods
Neogen

Other News
AgBoost
AHV USA
Alberta Veterinary Laboratories
Aquarium Münster Pahlsmeier
Bimeda
BioCraft Pet Nutrition
Bonnefield Financial
DOG PPL
Felixvet
Hikma Pharmaceuticals
MedIrAlis
Milk Barn
Prefera Petfood
PSIvet
Solvet
Veterinarian Exam Assistant
VETmAb Biosciences
Yuyu Pharma

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Brakke Consulting

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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES

• Neogen Corporation announced the results of the third quarter ended February 28, 2025. Revenues for the third quarter were $221 million, a decrease of 3.4% compared to the prior year period. Net loss was $(11.0) million compared to net loss of $(2.0) million in the prior-year period. Revenues for the Animal Safety segment were $68.2 million in the third quarter, a decrease of 4.0%. (company press release)
• Cal-Maine Foods, reported financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter ended March 1, 2025. Net sales were $1.4 billion, up from $703.1 million for the same period last year. primarily driven by an increase in the net average selling price of shell eggs. Net income was $508.5 million, compared with $146.7 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. (Feedstuffs)

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

• The FDA announced it has approved Bimeda Animal Health ‘s generic MoxiCloprid for Cats (imidacloprid + moxidectin) for use in cats and ferrets. (FDA)
• The FDA announced it has approved Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.’s generic Enrofloxacin Flavored Tablets for use in dogs and cats. (FDA)
• Felixvet announced the launch of its generic Carprofen Soft Chewable Tablets. (Todays Veterinary Business)
• The FDA announced that it is adding Aquarium Münster Pahlsmeier GmbH’s Faunamor (methylthionine chloride, malachite green oxalate and acriflavine chloride immersion solution) to its Index of Legally Marketed Unapproved New Animal Drugs for Minor Species, making it the only legal drug currently on the market to treat Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) in ornamental pet fish. (FDA)
• Korean biopharma company Yuyu Pharma announced it has invested 1.24 billion won ($834,174) in two U.S.-based startups: VETmAb Biosciences and premium dog community platform DOG PPL. (com)
• PSIvet announced it has partnered with Veterinarian Exam Assistant (VEA) to launch a pilot program aimed at streamlining workflows and enhancing patient care through AI-driven automation. Through this pilot program, select PSIvet member clinics will gain six months of complimentary access to VEA, providing them with the opportunity to integrate the platform into their daily operations and measure its impact on productivity, documentation accuracy, and client engagement. (company press release)
• AHV USA and Milk Barn LLC announced a strategic distribution partnership aimed at dairy producers in Maryland and Pennsylvania. (company press release)
• EU BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a biotech company developing animal cell-cultured ingredients for the pet food market, and Prefera Petfood announced a partnership to commercialize a hypoallergenic, nutritionally complete cat food made almost entirely from cell-cultured mouse. Early palatability tests have demonstrated exceptional acceptance rates among cats. The companies will officially debut product samples at Zoomark International in May 2025. (Pet Age)
• CANADA Bonnefield Financial announced an investment in Solvet, a subsidiary of Alberta Veterinary Laboratories that is focused on livestock welfare and pain management. Financial terms were not disclosed. (com)
• AUSTRALIA AgBoost, a provider of data-driven solutions for cattle producers, announced the successful closing of a $500,000 investment round and the signing of a strategic licensing agreement with MedIrAlis, an animal health company in Australia. These milestones will accelerate AgBoost’s mission to empower ranchers to optimize the use of genomic data for breeding, health, market value, and nutrition management. (company press release)

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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

• US – ZOONOSIS RESEARCH Washington State University researchers have created an artificial intelligence tool that could aid in limiting or even prevent pandemics by identifying animal species that may harbor and spread viruses capable of infecting humans.  The machine learning model analyzes host characteristics and virus genetics to identify potential animal reservoirs and geographic areas where new outbreaks are more likely to occur. The research was published in the journal Communications Biology. (AVMA SmartBrief – WSU)
• US – GENETICS RESEARCH Biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced that it has effectively de-extincted dire wolves, which went extinct over 10,000 years ago. Using preserved DNA, Colossal scientists deciphered the dire wolf genome; used gene editing on 14 key genes in the genetic code of the common gray wolf to match it; and, using domestic dogs as surrogate mothers, brought three dire wolf pups into the world last fall and this winter. Unlike traditional cloning, no ancient dire wolf DNA was actually spliced into the gray wolf’s genome. (com)
• US – FELINE RESEARCH Darwin’s Ark – a non-profit founded by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and UMass Chan Medical School –  announced it has launched a new initiative, Darwin’s Cats. Darwin’s Cats is adopting a novel sequencing approach known as fur-based sequencing to capture genetic data from thousands of felines. Owners are asked to brush their cat’s coat, send the fur sample back for analysis and complete research surveys about their pet. The data collected by Darwin’s Cats will help to build one of the most comprehensive databases on feline genetics, creating new opportunities to understand cat genetic diversity, traits, behaviors, health and wellbeing. (AVMA SmartBrief – com)
• SWEDEN – EQUINE RESEARCH Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU) have developed Dessie, an AI-based model that can interpret equine body language – the key to detecting physical and even behavioral problems. Dessie reconstructs the exact 3D motion of horses from videos, using an AI-based parametric model of the horse’s pose and shape. The research was published on the arXiv preprint server. (org)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
One can say that we certainly live in interesting times!

The US administration believes that a “rebalancing” of trade conditions is required, and part of the rebalancing involves tariffs.  This has sparked a huge debate and also a panic in the stock markets- resulting in wild swings in the days after.

Those of us that have been involved in international trade are well aware of the “inconsistencies” that occur in trade across the globe and maybe we have just become “immune” to the impacts that they make. In fact, tariffs are just one of the trade issues that impact our business. Biosecurity measures, inconsistent regulatory requirements, and other controls actually have a far greater impact. Access to markets both ways are manipulated to control imports and exports to protect national interests. And it certainly impacts the animal health industry. My suggestion is to do your own homework to understand the issues and the dynamics. WTO.ORG provides a nice, consolidated list of tariffs by country. Also, a great study in tariff strategy is the history of the Australian automobile industry.

As for the veterinary pharmaceutical industry, my view is that the tariff impact will be limited, but time will tell. The bigger threat is supply chain disruption if events escalate.

Meanwhile, try not to look too often at your 401K…and have multiple suppliers of critical items in your products.

Paul Casady

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YOUR VIEW
Last week, we asked your thoughts on Colorado’s proposed Veterinary Professional Associate position. 47% of you are not in favor of it; 30% are in favor. 23% said you don’t know enough about it.

This week
This week Colossal Biosciences claimed to have “de-extincted” the dire wolf, a species that has been extinct for over 10,000 years, using genetic engineering techniques. They have plans for other de-extinctions, including woolly mammoths, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers.

What are your thoughts?