Animal Health News & Notes for April 21, 2023

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for April 21, 2023
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:

Brakke Consulting News
Animal Health Jobs

Earnings News
Vetoquinol
Virbac

Other News
Adare Pharma Solutions
ADM
Animalcare Group
Believer Meats
Complete Clinic
DVM Manager
Farmers Business Network
Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging
HerdDogg
Impromed Triple Crown
iTRAK Group
Kane Biotech
Kanguro Insurance
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Royal DSM
Skout’s Honor
STEM Animal Health
Torigen Pharmaceuticals
Veterinary Management Groups
Weave

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Animal Health Jobs
Animal Health Jobs, a part of Brakke Consulting, the premier website for jobs in the animal health and nutrition industries, is currently conduction our 3rd annual Attitude Survey. Now that our industry has moved past the COVID-19 pandemic, people are trying to find their routine in the “post-pandemic environment”. We want to hear what you think about your career in the animal health and nutrition industry.

We will share the results with you in future blogs and white papers on the Animal Health Jobs website.

Please click here to take our short survey, which will be open through Friday, April 28. All respones will be kept anonymous, and contact information will not be shared. Your thoughts and feedback are appreciated.

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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES

• Virbac SA reported results for the first quarter of 2023. Revenue was EUR 314.8 million ($345 million), down 1.0% at real rates and -1.3% at constant exchange rates compared to the same period in 2022. (company website)
• Vetoquinol SA reported results for the first quarter of 2023. Sales were EUR 145 million ($159 million), an increase of 8% compared to the prior-year quarter (+7% at constant exchange rates). (company website)

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Southwest Veterinary Symposium – SWVS 2023
San Antonio, Texas – Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
September 21-24, 2023

Early Bird Registration — Now Until July 31st

It’s our 20^th Anniversary Y’all!
Registration is NOW OPEN! Southwest Veterinary Symposium — a partnership of the Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas Veterinary Medicine Associations which provides continuing education for veterinary professionals. Join us this September in San Antonio, Texas, where you can learn about the latest innovations and products while exploring our exhibit hall, network with other veterinary professionals, and choose from more than 400+ hours of quality CE/RACE-approved sessions.

www.swvs.org

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

• Nestlé Purina PetCare Global Research announced a partnership with the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University’s School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to uncover breakthroughs in the frontier of pet microbiome health. The partnership is made possible through a $2 million Purina PetCare Research Excellence Fund, which will run from 2023 through 2028. (PRnewswire)
• Kane Biotech announced a licensing agreement with Skout’s Honor Pet Supply Company for its patented coactiv+ technology in pet oral care applications. Skout’s Honor has been granted a ten-year license for the non-exclusive use of Kane’s coactiv+ technology under their own brand in North America while STEM Animal Health, a subsidiary of Kane and joint venture formed with Animalcare Group PLC, will continue to commercialize its bluestem line of pet oral care products. STEM will receive a $500,000 licensing fee from Skout’s Honor to be paid over the course of the agreement as well as an ongoing royalty. (company press release)
• Torigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has entered into a Preferred Partner Agreement with Veterinary Management Groups (VMG) to provide their more than 2,000 member clinics with access to Torigen’s experimental autologous cancer immunotherapy and services. (Yahoo)
• Royal DSM has entered into exclusive negotiations with Adare Pharma Solutions in order to acquire Adare Biome, a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of postbiotics, for an enterprise value of EUR 275 million ($300 million). In addition to Adare Biome’s human health line, the acquisition would also help establish DSM as a frontrunner in the growing microbiome management market for pets and expand its animal health range, where the stability of postbiotics means they can be incorporated into DSM’s premix feed solutions. (Nutraceutical Business Review)
• HerdDogg and the iTRAK Group announced a strategic partnership that will give the iTRAK Group exclusive distribution rights of HerdDogg’s hardware and software platform in the Australian and New Zealand markets, and HerdDogg the exclusive rights to distribute the iTRAK Group’s product – Bioplus, a mobile and desktop biosecurity application – in North & South America. As part of the partnership, HerdDogg will integrate Bioplus’ biosecurity platform with HerdDogg’s patented tag technology to create a seamless bio-traceability platform that automatically collects data and provides records for the secure beef systems being created by the USDA and APHIS. (PRnewswire)
• Weave announced that users of Impromed Triple Crown, Complete Clinic and DVM Manager will now be able to access more features of the platform. (Businesswire)
• Kanguro Insurance, a new insurance technology company (insurtech), has launched its health insurance plans for pets. Kanguro Insurance is a fully digital company, offering a 24/7 mobile app for claims handling, where policyholders can easily request reimbursements for vet bills, access the content hub, exclusive discounts for treats, grooming, and boarding, and the digital vaccination card via the Kanguro cloud. (Pet Business)
• ADM and Believer Meats, a pioneer of the cultivated meat industry, announced that they have signed a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on new ways to propel the development and commercialization of cultivated meat products. (Feedstuffs – subscription)
• Farmers Business Network (FBN), the global AgTech platform and farmer-to-farmer network, announced the launch of an industry-first artificial intelligence (AI) powered agronomic advisor, named Norm, to provide farmers with a wide array of agronomic intelligence. Norm is built on OpenAI’s Chatbot GPT-3.5 and draws from publicly available data such as weather insights, soil monitoring, application rates, product labels, current events, university research, and grower commentary – as well as FBN proprietary data feeds, to enable growers to query a vast array of agronomic, farm business, animal health, and product usage questions. (Businesswire)
• UK Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging has launched the world’s first veterinary MRI that doesn’t rely on helium to cool its magnet coils. Hallmarq’s new MRI uses a conduction-based cooling system in a strong vacuum, which eliminates the need for helium, a quench pipe, oxygen monitor, or any additional power. (org)

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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

• US – AVIAN INFLUENZA The USDA hosted a stakeholder roundtable discussion on April 14 where department officials said they are testing four avian influenza vaccines as part of its “no stone unturned” fight against the virus. The department will be testing one vaccine from Zoetis, one from Merck Animal Health and two from USDA’s Ag Research Service. (Agweb)
• US – CANINE BRUCELLOSIS Researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) have developed a new test to diagnose Brucella canis, a zoonotic disease that can spread to people through contact with infected dogs. The Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) is the only lab in the country offering the Canine Brucella Multiplex (CBM) assay, a new test that measures antibodies in dogs directed against Brucella canis (Vet Candy)
• CANADA – DOG FOOD RESEARCH New research from the University of Guelph indicates that ingredients such as lentils, beans and field peas (known as “pulse ingredients”) typically used in grain-free dog foods are safe for healthy dogs. Dogs fed diets containing up to 45% whole pulse ingredients and no grains over 20 weeks showed no indications of heart issues. The research was published in The Journal of Nutrition. (Guelph news)
• US – VETERINARY SCHOOLS Clemson University is seeking state funding to establish the first college of veterinary medicine in South Carolina with the goal of increasing the number of veterinarians in the state, particularly in designated shortage areas. Nearly half of South Carolina’s counties are listed as “high needs” on the USDA’s veterinary shortage map. (AVMA SmartBrief – Post and Courier)
• US – ANTIMICROBIAL USE Several states and cities have implemented policies to restrict antimicrobial use in livestock and increase industry transparency, but new research shows these policies may not be effective. Policies in California, Maryland and San Francisco don’t appear to be working. The research found the policies were limited by refusal of food and animal producers to reveal their use of antimicrobials as required, lack of money for data analysis and enforcement, and vague language that permits loopholes for producers to exploit. The study, led by the University of California, Berkeley, was published in PLOS One. (Vet Advantage)
• US – TOP PET DISEASE CLAIMS Atopic or allergic dermatitis was the top medical condition that prompted veterinary visits for dogs last year, according to a new analysis of insurance claims by Nationwide. Chronic kidney disease was the top disease affecting cats. (Vet Advantage)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
The announcement that Farmers Business Network has launched a ChatGPT-based artificial intelligence (AI) platform for farmers caught my eye. AI-based platforms are everywhere these days, including in animal health. But if you’re unfamiliar with it, ChatGPT is next-level disruption in AI. It is a natural language processing tool that can answer questions and assist you with tasks like composing emails or letters, making lists, or even producing computer code. I tried it out, asking to do everything from writing a cover letter, to explaining the steps for CPR, to writing a haiku about cows. The results were more or less indistinguishable from what I might have written myself.

Many have concerns about sophisticated AI that is able to flawlessly mimic human interactions; from worries about students using it to generate essays and test answers, to ChatGPT effectively replacing human employees. From a veterinary perspective, it could expand upon the tendency for pet owners to go to “Dr. Google” for answers about their pets’ problems. But there can also be significant benefits in efficiency and cost savings if it’s used in a thoughtful manner. The bottom line is that AI is not going away, and our industry can either embrace it, or stick our heads in the sand and suffer the consequences.

Lynn Fondon

P.S.  Are you curious about whether ChatGPT could write the Viewpoint?  I was – so I asked it to do that. Here’s the result using the prompt “Write 100 words about ChatGPT in veterinary medicine. Include both positive and negative points.”

“ChatGPT can be a valuable tool in veterinary medicine, providing quick access to a vast database of information about animal health and wellness. With its advanced natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT can understand complex questions and provide accurate answers, diagnoses, and treatment recommendations based on the latest research and clinical best practices. This can be particularly helpful in rare or complex cases.

However, there are also potential drawbacks to relying solely on ChatGPT for veterinary advice. ChatGPT cannot physically examine or observe animals, which limits its ability to make accurate diagnoses or recommendations. In addition, it may not take into account individual factors, such as an animal’s age, breed, or medical history. Therefore, it is important to use ChatGPT as a complementary tool to veterinary care and not as a replacement for in-person consultations.”

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YOUR VIEW
Last week, we asked what you thought the percentage was of known infectious diseases in humans that are zoonotic. The most common response was 25% – over one-third (36%) of you chose that answer.  18% said that it was 10%; 16% said 40%; 10% said 50%, and 20% said over 60%.

Answer:  According to a recent report from the UN, over 60% of the known infectious diseases and over 75% of the emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic.

This week
Have you tried using ChatGPT, or an AI platform based on it?