Animal Health News & Notes for July 1, 2022

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for July 1, 2022
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:

Earnings News
General Mills
Patterson

Other News
Butterfly Network
Central Garden & Pet
Daewoong Pharmaceutical
Dr Eckel
Ethos
JAB Consumer Partners
Jaguar Health
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Labiana
Lap of Love
LG Electronics
MWI
PetVivo
Pet Wellness Direct
Samsung
SynWorld Technologies
TheraVet
Vetio
Wag!
Walkin’ Pets

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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES

• Patterson Companies, Inc. reported results for its fiscal year ended April 30, 2022. Animal Health net sales were $3.98 billion, a year-over-year increase of 12%. Segment operating income was $114.4 million, an increase of 30%. (company press release)
• General Mills reported results for the fiscal year ended May 29, 2022. Pet segment net sales increased 30% to $2.3 billion. Segment operating profit increased 13% to $471 million. (company press release)

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

• PetVivo Holdings, announced it has entered into a definitive exclusive distribution services agreement with MWI Animal Health to distribute the firm’s Spryng with OsteoCushion Technology. (Globenewswire)
• TheraVet announced the US launch of its Biocera-Vet bone substitute products for animals. The newly launched range in the US includes Biocera-Vet Bone Surgery Ready-to-Use (RTU), Biocera-Vet Granules and Biocera-Vet Osteosarcoma RTU. The firm expects Biocera-Vet Smartgraft – a naturally osteoconductive bone graft product – to also be launched in the country in the coming weeks. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has ordered JAB Consumer Partners to divest clinics in the Richmond, VA, Denver, San Francisco, and the Washington, D.C. areas as a condition of JAB’s proposed $1.65 billion acquisition of the parent company of veterinary clinic owner Ethos, to prevent the private equity firm from further consolidating control over specialty and emergency veterinary clinics. The Commission also is imposing strong prior approval and prior notice requirements on both JAB and its divesture buyers for future acquisitions of specialty and emergency veterinary clinics. Earlier this month the FTC ordered JAB to divest clinics in California and Texas as a condition of its proposed acquisition SAGE Veterinary Partners, LLC. (gov)
• Central Garden & Pet announced the launch of new pet wellness brand GoodGood. The brand’s inaugural line of dog supplements includes four products: Allergy + Immune Dog Chews, Calming Dog Chews, Hip + Joint Dog Chews and Skin + Coat Dog Chews. (company press release)
• Butterfly Network, Inc. and the University of Melbourne announced a partnership to equip veterinary students with the Butterfly iQ+ Vet handheld, whole-body ultrasound for hands-on education and training. This is the first global veterinary education collaboration for Butterfly Network, which expanded into Australia and New Zealand last year. (company press release)
• Vetio announced it has received an Intention to Grant from the European Patent Office (EPO) and a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent Office (USPTO) for its Starch-Free Soft Chew for Veterinary Applications. Vetio’s Soft Chew Technology platform for Animal Health is ideally suited for delivering one or more active ingredients in a veterinary pharmaceutical-grade dosage form. (company press release)
• Walkin’ Pets introduced its new line of custom orthosis and leg braces. Walkin’ Pets Braces are available in four different styles: Knee (Stifle Brace), Elbow Brace, Carpal Brace to support the front leg, and Hock (Tarsal) Brace for hind leg support. (company press release)
• Pet Wellness Direct announced the launch of Protect Dog Shampoo and Protect Home + Pet Spray all-natural anti-pest products, that effectively kill fleas, ticks, and other insects on contact. Both products contain plant-based ingredients, including cedar oil, rosemary oil, lemongrass oil, coconut oil, and aloe. (DVM360)
• Lap of Love announced the launch of an In-Home Pet Hospice & Euthanasia Provider Directory to support the growing number of requests for pet end-of-life care and euthanasia services in the home. The new nationwide directory connects families to local providers who specialize in pet end-of-life care needs. The online directory is free for pet families to use and veterinary providers specializing in end-of-life pet services can create a profile listing at no cost. (com)
• Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced an exclusive partnership with Wag!, a mobile-first platform that connects pet owners with professional pet caregivers for boarding, pet-sitting and walking. According to the release, Kimpton is the first major hotel brand to offer on-property and at-home walks for guests staying at any of its 65+ properties in the US. (com)
• Samsung and LG Electronics have launched several home appliance devices to help take care of pets. Samsung’s SmartThings Pet Care includes a home air conditioner that can set the optimal room temperature according to the pet species; an air purifier that can effectively clean pet hair; the JetBot 90 AI+ vacuum cleaner with a “pet care” feature to capture pet hair; and the Galaxy SmartTag, a device for locating pets when fixed to their collars, using Bluetooth technology. LG introduced a washer and a dryer that comes with pet care cycles to remove allergens from their clothing. (com)
• SPAIN Labiana announced it has begun trading on the BME Growth exchange – a sub-market of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles – under the symbol ‘LAB’ after a proposed initial public offering (IPO), kicking off trading with a market capitalization of EUR 36.1 million ($38 million). According to reports Labiana is the first Spanish animal health business to become publicly listed. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• CHINA Jaguar Health announced an exclusive license and commercialization agreement with SynWorld Technologies for its canine diarrhea treatment Canalevia (crofelmer delayed-release tablets) in China. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• GERMANY Dr Eckel has introduced a natural phytogenic feed it claims can help protect pigs against African swine fever (ASF). AntaShield is a non-chemical feed formulation bioactive plant metabolites that are derived from hops “that have been shown to work against viruses in feed”. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• SOUTH KOREA Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Seoul National University announced they have signed an agreement to establish a joint veterinary drug R&D company to collaborate on veterinary drug development, translational research and new drug development. They will also work together on development and commercialization of nutritional food products for animals.  (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)

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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

• US – ASF AWARENESS The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has launched an outreach and awareness program called ‘Protect Our Pigs’ that targets commercial pork producers, veterinarians and pig owners with information and resources to help safeguard the US against the introduction of African Swine Fever. A new website linked to the campaign will house downloadable fact sheets and posters, instructional videos, shareable social media graphics and a new interactive biosecurity guide. It will also offer the latest disease updates. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• US – VETERINARY SPECIALITIES The American Association of Fish Veterinarians, with support from the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association, has begun the process of developing a petition to have fish practice recognized as a veterinary specialty within the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. The specialty would help identify veterinarians with training specific to fish. The AVMA is seeking comments on the proposal through Sept. 2; click here for more information.  (AVMA)
• US – DRUG DEVELOPMENT The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will host a virtual public meeting on the FDA’s oversight of advanced manufacturing technologies for animal drugs. The meeting will be a listening session to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to share information and insight on this topic with CVM. The meeting will take place on August 11, 2022, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT. (FDA)
• US – GENE-EDITING The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) announced new resources for people interested in the development of intentional genomic alterations (IGAs) in animals. These include a pre-recorded, on-demand webinar about the agency’s risk-based review process for IGAs in animals that may pose low risk, as well as revamped web resources for biotechnology products at CVM.  (FDA)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT

This week’s news includes an announcement of a partnership between Kimpton Hotels and Wag! to offer dog walking services at Kimpton’s US hotels. Last week Mars Petcare and Hilton Hotels announced that guests at many of Hilton’s hotels will be able to access virtual support for questions about traveling with pets. Traveling with pets has become commonplace: a recent survey conducted for Hilton found that 55% of pet owners with summer travel plans intend to travel with their pet. Another survey sponsored by Wag! found that 70% of pet owners say they almost always seek out pet-friendly hotels, and 94% would trade away at least one common amenity in exchange for more pet-friendly policies. According to Hilton, 85% of their hotels are pet-friendly, so they seem poised to capitalize on this trend.

I’ve never personally vacationed with my dog (or cat), but I know many who have.  A good number of those chose to go the Vrbo/Airbnb route because those offerings tended to be more pet-friendly. Hotels seem to be determined to win some of that business back; time will tell if the new pet-centric offerings swing the momentum back their way.

Lynn Fondon
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YOUR VIEW

Last week we asked about your protein consumption and perceptions.  74% of you said you prefer animal protein, 8% prefer plant protein, and 18% like both equally.  Most of you (58%) aren’t concerned about the environmental impact of livestock and poultry production, but 13% say you’re very concerned.  54% say you expect your family to eat about the same amount of plant-based protein products over the next 5 years; 25% say you’ll eat more, and 21% will eat less.

This week
Have you ever vacationed with your pet(s)?