Animal Health News & Notes for January 14, 2022

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for January 14, 2022
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:

Brakke Consulting news
2022 Industry Overview –VMX session is Monday January 17

Earnings News
Freshpet

Other News
20/20 Imaging
A&M Capital Partners
Alivira Animal Health
Altasciences
Anivive Lifesciences
Benchmark
BetterVet Mobile Veterinary Care
Bird Buddy
Butterfly Network
Cargill
Cermaq
Covetrus
Dechra (Halocarbon)
Dechra (Laverdia)
DW Healthcare Partners
ElleVet Sciences
Equine Network
Evance Group
Furhaven Pet Products
Guardian Pet Food Company
HABRI
Halocarbon Life Sciences
Hanaco Ventures
The Horse
IDEXX
Innocan Pharma
Konica Minolta
MBF Therapeutics
Medovate
NAVC
Noble Pharma
Petnow
Remilk
Simulations Plus
Sinclair Research
Tractive
Vetoquinol
VetPawer
Vets Plus
Virbac
Worldwise
Yissum Research Development Company
Zoetis

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Brakke Consulting
Announcing the 2022 Brakke Industry Overview

Register today for the Overview at VMX

Presented at VMX: Monday, January 17th, 2-4 pm, Hyatt Regency, Orlando N Room
Presented at WVC: Monday, March 7th, 2-4 pm, Four Seasons Hotel, Acacia Ballroom

We are back to being in person!  Come join us at Brakke Consulting’s annual Industry Overview presented at VMX and WVC in 2022. The Overview will feature industry and top global company performance, brand new market research from companion animal veterinarians, and a closer look at the current and future use of monoclonal antibodies in veterinary medicine.

Brand new this year – led by Brakke Senior Consultant Paul Casady, a panel of industry leaders will discuss their views on the outlook for the companion animal market, so you can hear firsthand from these experts.  The panel for VMX includes:

• Mr. Tim Bettington, EVP and President, US Operations, Zoetis
• Mary Heather Parch, Vice President, B2B Marketing, Covetrus
• Dr. Link Welborn, Chief Executive Officer at Veterinary Study Groups & Chief Veterinary Officer North America, Covetrus

Sign up today using this link, or email Amanda McDavid or call her at 336-396-3916.  Pre-registration cost is $399; there are discounts for multiple attendees from the same company.  We look forward to seeing you there!

*A beer and wine networking reception will immediately follow the Industry Overview. Each attendee is invited to join us after the presentation.*

www.BrakkeConsulting.com

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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES

• Freshpet, Inc. announced preliminary full year 2021 results. Preliminary net sales are expected to be $425 million, representing growth of 34% compared to the prior year period. The Company continues to expect adjusted EBITDA to be approximately $42 million for full year 2021. (globenewswire)

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

• The FDA announced it has approved Zoetis‘ Solensia (frunevetmab injection), the first treatment for the control of pain associated with osteoarthritis in cats and the first monoclonal antibody (mAb) new animal drug approved by the FDA for use in any animal species. (FDA)
• Virbac announced it has begun construction of a global center of excellence for biological products at its headquarters in Carros, France as part of a transformation plan. Virbac will also set up a biology academy to develop its employees’ skills, particularly in industrial engineering, biological technology platforms and sterility control in industrial environments. The company’s project is being backed by the French government’s stimulus plan to support industrial investment programs in six strategic sectors. Virbac has been awarded a EUR 900,000 ($1.02 million) grant through the plan and a supplemental EUR 500,000 grant from the region. (IHS Markit Connect)
• Vetoquinol USA announced that Imoxi (generic imidacloprid + moxidectin) Topical Solution for Cats is now available. This follows the launch of the canine product of the same name in 2021. (company press release)
• IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. announced a series of product and service enhancements including improvements to IDEXX 4Dx Plus Test; VetConnect PLUS Mobile App; SediVue Dx Urine Sediment Analyzer; and New Catalyst SDMA Test. IDEXX also announced the expansion of its reference laboratory menu of tests and services for diagnosing and treating cancer: a liquid biopsy test to aid in diagnosing lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma; a diagnostic panel for biopsy tissues to identify genetic mutations in canines, assisting in therapy selection and personalized treatment options; and newly designed diagnostic profiles to support cancer therapy management and monitoring. (company press release)
• Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC announced the acquisition of the veterinary approved Isoflurane, USP Inhalant Anesthetic and Sevoflurane, USP Inhalant Anesthetic from Halocarbon Life Sciences. Dechra will be launching the veterinary branded Isoflurane and Sevoflurane in the first quarter of 2022. (company press release)
• Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC announced that it has agreed terms with Anivive Lifesciences, Inc. to acquire the worldwide rights to Laverdia-CA1 (verdinexor), a novel treatment of all forms and stages of canine lymphoma in dogs. The drug was conditionally approved by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine on January 11, 2021. Dechra is also buying a first right of refusal for other species along with the trademark. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Nasdaq.com)
• DW Healthcare Partners announced the completion of its investment in Vets Plus, Inc and Noble Pharma, LLC. Vets Plus is a full-service developer and manufacturer of nutraceutical solutions for the companion animal and livestock markets; Noble is an FDA registered manufacturer of animal health pharmaceuticals. Financial terms were not disclosed. (newswire.ca)
• Covetrus announced the launch of Covetrus Pulse, an innovative cloud-based veterinary operating system (vOS) that seamlessly connects veterinarians to the technology they need to manage their practices, available on April 1. Veterinarians will be able to create, renew, and approve prescriptions, communicate with clients and coworkers, personalize dashboards, and customize with preferred third-party apps, all from one central operating system. (company press release)
• MBF Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has been awarded US Patent 11,130,787, a foundational patent that provides new compositions and methods using DNA and RNA to induce immune responses to treat or prevent viral diseases and cancer in humans, livestock and companion animals. (company press release)
• A&M Capital Partners announced that Worldwise, an AMCP portfolio company, has acquired ecommerce company Furhaven Pet Products, Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Pet Business)
• ElleVet Sciences announced it has developed a new veterinary CBD product for cats. The new Feline Paste product incorporates the company’s CBD+CBDA Complete Oil to provide everyday relief and neurological support for feline companions. The product is chicken flavored and can be administered at home through a “dial-a-dose” syringe. (Petfoodprocessing.net)
• Butterfly Network, and BetterVet Mobile Veterinary Care announce a collaboration to equip all locations nationwide with a Butterfly iQ+ Vet. BetterVet is available in twelve major cities and will be launching soon in more cities across the US. (company press release)
• Medovate announced it has signed a Letter of Intent to collaborate with 20/20 Imaging (Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc.) to introduce its anesthesia device SAFIRA to the US veterinary field. SAFIRA transforms regional anesthesia into a one-person procedure and incorporates a unique safety solution that limits injection pressure, helping to reduce the risk of nerve injury. (EINnews.com)
• The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued to Guardian Pet Food Company, Inc. US Patent Number 11,206,852, entitled “Compact Nutrient Dense Freeze-Dried Pet Food Product”. The claimed invention recited in the patent is a shelf-stable, freeze-dried, food for dogs with a caloric density of at least 5,000 kcal/kg of metabolized energy. (Pet Business)
• Cargill announced the launch of two new artificial intelligence-powered solutions to deliver insights to poultry producers. Galleon is a patent-pending tool that uses a swab from a live bird to analyze flock health against a global poultry microbiome database, developed from nearly 100 trial studies. Birdoo is a real-time tool to measure broiler weight performance using imaging and predictive analysis. (IHS Markit Connect)
• Tractive announced the launch of its new LTE GPS pet tracker for cats in North America. The tracker is designed so the collar can be threaded through it for a more secure fit. (IHS Markit Connect)
• The CES show in Las Vegas last week showcased a number of new consumer electronics to watch for in 2022, including a few surprises for pet owners. Two new products include the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder and Samsung’s Petnow app, which helps locate and identify pets via nose print rather than implanted microchips. (Pet Products Smartbrief – CNN)
• Innocan Pharma Corporation announce a second amendment to the research and license agreement with Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. for the performance of studies evaluating the efficacy of its CBD-Loaded Liposome Platform Technology (LPT) in treating dogs. (news.Yahoo.com)
• VetPawer announced the launch of AVA’s (Automated Virtual Assistant) newest functionality, prescription refills. AVA integrates the veterinary practice’s phone system directly into the practice management software system to schedule appointments and propose prescription refills. (company press release)
• The Equine Network, a tech-enabled membership services platform to the US equine industry, announced it has completed the acquisitions of The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care and TheHorse.com (together, “The Horse”). Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. (Equimanagement.com)
• Altasciences, an integrated CRO/CDMO, announced the completed acquisition of Sinclair Research, a pre-clinical CRO located in the US Midwest. Financial terms were not disclosed. (drugtargetreview.com)
• Simulations Plus, Inc. announced a new funded collaboration with an unnamed animal health company to both validate current animal physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models and to add critical new species to the GastroPlus platform. The new collaboration will extend GastroPlus functionality to modern animal agriculture and support veterinary medicine and food production research. (biospace.com)
• The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) announced the launch of a new-and-improved Human Animal Bond Certified course for veterinarians, veterinary nurses and veterinary practice managers. Practice certification is also now available. (benzinga.com)
• BRAZIL SeQuent Scientific Limited through its principal operating company Alivira Animal Health, has completed consolidation of its Brazilian operations by increasing its shareholding in Evance Group to 100% for an effective consideration of Rs. 446 million ($80 million). (company press release)
• EU Benchmark and Cermaq announced they have received NOK4.2 million ($0.48 million) in funding for their project to develop a vaccine against diseases in salmon caused by Tenacibaculum bacteria, including T maritimum and T finnmarkense. These bacteria cause mouth rot and tenacibaculosis. (IHS Markit Connect)
• ISRAEL Remilk, announced it has secured $120 million in Series B funding, led by NY-based Hanaco Ventures. The funding establishes Remilk as a primary player in the emerging cultivated dairy category and enables the Company to immediately scale production of its dairy-identical milk protein for commercial use by manufacturers in traditionally dairy-based products including cheeses, yogurt, and ice cream. (Prnewswire)

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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

• ITALY – ASF Italy has confirmed its first case of African Swine Fever in a dead wild boar in the Piedmont region. The regional government has asked the mayors of the municipalities concerned to ban hunting in their territories. (Feedstuffs) 
• US – The FDA will hold a public hearing on Scientific Data and Information Related to the Residue of Carcinogenic Concern for the New Animal Drug Carbadox, a carcinogenic new animal drug used in swine feed. The public hearing will be held virtually on March 10, 2022, via Zoom from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET. Click here for more information. (FDA)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT

Next week marks the return of VMX at its regularly scheduled time in January, as well as the return of the in-person Brakke Industry Overview.

In these turbulent times, it pays to have as much information as possible about the current trends in our industry and what is driving them.  This year, in addition to all the valuable insights you expect from the highly experienced Brakke team at our Industry Overview, we are including a panel with other industry leaders, bringing you wide-ranging insights into the companion animal segment. Our annual Overview is the best 2 hours you’ll spend at VMX – be sure to register today!

Lynn Fondon
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YOUR VIEW
Last week we asked what you think the year-over-year industry growth rates will be in 2022.  The results are slightly pessimistic – 44% think it will be lower than last year; 24% think it will be the same; and 32% think it will be better.  Not too surprising given the robust growth we saw in 2021.

This week

Since it’s a new – and hopefully less chaotic – year, let’s see whether you expect to see more work-related travel this year.
What are your expectations for work travel in 2022?