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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for March 12, 2021
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS”
Earnings News
J.M. Smucker
Ouro Fino Saúde Animal
Other News
Aridis Pharmaceuticals
Biota
Blue Heron Consulting
Dechra
Farmers Business Network
FoodScience Corporation
I-MED Pharma
Inspire Veterinary Partners
IVC Evidensia
Kermode Biotechnologies
Medovate
Merck Animal Health Ventures
Mountain Valley MD Holdings
Novozymes
PawSquad
Pilgrim’s Pride
Prairie Livestock Supply
SomaDetect
Vygon Vet
Vytelle
Wind Point Partners
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COMPANY EARNINGS RELEASES
- Ouro Fino Saúde Animal reported results for the full year 2020. Sales climbed 18% to R$730.1 million ($128.7 million). The firm saw double-digit growth in both its production animal and companion animal divisions. Adjusted EBITDA in 2020 was R$128.5 million ($22.7 million), an increase of 33% from 2019. (IHS Markit Connect)
- TheM. Smucker Co. announced results for the third quarter ended January 31, 2021, of its 2021 fiscal year. Retail pet food sales were $769 million, an increase of 6% compared to the prior-year quarter. Segment profit was $135.1 million, a decline of 7% primarily reflecting an $8.1 million legal settlement related to a supplier issue received in the prior year. (company website)
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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
- Dechra Veterinary Products announced that it has signed an exclusive marketing, sales, and distribution agreement with I-MED Pharma, the Canadian leader in dry eye management, for three innovative veterinary hyaluronic acid (HA) ophthalmic products. Dechra has licensed the North American, long-term, veterinary rights for the following three products: 0.20% viscoadaptive HA suspension with osmoprotectants and bioprotectants; 0.40% viscoadaptive HA ointment; and 0.18% viscoadaptive HA solution. (company press release)
- Wind Point Partners announced it has acquired FoodScience Corporation, which markets VetriScience, DaVinci, and Pet Naturals supplements, as well as private label offerings. Financial terms were not disclosed. (PEHub.com)
- Novozymes announced the acquisition of the microbiome R&D team and data science platform of Biota. Biota will retain a commercial license to apply the data science platform for genomic diagnostics. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Yahoo finance)
- Vytelle announced the launch of an integrated technology platform built to accelerate genetic progress in cattle. The Vytelle solutions include Vytelle Sense, Vytelle Insight, and Vytelle Advance. (company press release)
- Prairie Livestock Supply, a subsidiary of Prairie Holdings Group, has been acquired by Farmers Business Network (FBN), an independent farmer-to-farmer network that provides pharmaceuticals for swine, beef, dairy and poultry. The acquisition launches FBN’s animal health and nutrition platform to provide more choice for independent livestock producers and more competition for their business. Financial terms were not disclosed. (dglobe.com)
- Inspire Veterinary Partners, a newly-formed veterinary practice group, has announced its first acquisition. The organization’s five-year plan includes the addition of 50 new locations, with its first acquisition having taken place in February 2021 in Hawaii. As part of its growth plan, Inspire will leverage the support of strategic partner Blue Heron Consulting. (company press release)
- Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation announced that it plans to invest $70 million to build a state-of-the-art pet food ingredient plant in Franklin County, Georgia. The plant will be used primarily for the production of pet food ingredients by processing chicken byproducts. (Feedstuffs)
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has entered into an out-licensing and product discovery agreement with Kermode Biotechnologies, Inc. Kermode works on vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for zoonotic viruses. Kermode will fund for one year the discovery of product candidates for African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) based on Aridis’ APEXTM platform, with an option for swine influenza virus (SIV). (PRNewswire)
- CANADA SomaDetect announced it has secured C$6 million (US$4.7 million) as part of a series A funding round. The start-up will use the funds to accelerate the North American commercialization of what it claims will be the dairy industry’s only in-line sensor for milk quality, reproductive status and herd health. Merck Animal Health Ventures was among the firms participating in the round. (IHS Markit Connect)
- EU Veterinary telemedicine provider PawSquad announced it has joined the European Veterinary Group IVC Evidensia. PawSquad will continue to operate as an autonomous entity within the IVC group. Financial terms were not disclosed. (company press release)
- UK Medovate announced it is partnering with its UK distributor Vygon Vet to introduce its anesthesia device SAFIRA to UK veterinary practices. SAFIRA is a new technology that transforms regional anesthesia into a one-person procedure. It also incorporates a unique safety solution that limits injection pressure, helping to reduce the risk of nerve injury. (cambridgenetwork.co.uk)
- CANADA Mountain Valley MD Holdings announced it has successfully solubilized selamectin at 15mg/ml into a water solution without any organic solvents, which it believes is a critical achievement to allow formulation into topical application creams, oral rapid dissolve sublingual tablets, and injectable applications. The Company has filed for trademark protection under the brand name Selactosol. (Newswire.ca)
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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER
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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
- CHINA – ASF Pig numbers in China have been recovering more rapidly from the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks than expected, prompting Chinese officials to suggest the herd will be back to pre-ASF levels by the middle of this year. However, this optimistic view has been questioned as news emerged of new virus variants that are harder to detect. ASF Research at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute has shown the new variants cause a milder form of disease, which means the ASF virus may spread more widely before producers realize their animals are sick. (IHS Markit Connect)
- WORLD – REGULATORY DATABASE The first global database of regulatory agencies focused on veterinary medicines has been introduced to improve availability and access to veterinary medicines in the different regions of the world. The online database is provided by UK-based organization SMArt (Safe Medicines for Animals through regulatory training). Currently, there are 98 countries and 148 regulatory bodies featured in the directory. (IHS Markit Connect)
- US – FELINE HYPERTENSION The American Association of Feline Practitioners has announced the publication of a digital Hypertension Educational Toolkit to help veterinary professionals diagnose and treat systemic arterial hypertension in cats. The toolkit is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. (DVM360)
- US – GENE EDITING The USDA is reopening for 60 days the public review and comment period for an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding whether to establish regulations for the movement of certain animals modified or developed using genetic engineering. USDA and Health and Human Services announced a memorandum of understanding in January to allow for USDA to have jurisdiction over the regulation of these animals, but the FDA continues to oppose transferring oversight. (Feedstuffs)
- US – EQUINE TESTING Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have developed a new PCR-based test to detect the local administration of illicit, gene doping therapies in plasma and synovial fluid after its intra-articular administration in equine athletes. (Penn Today)
- US – LVIESTOCK RESEARCH A team of international researchers led by Michigan State University has received a five-year, $1 million grant from the USDA’s Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems (DSFAS) program, a component of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The newly funded project is aimed at establishing a multidisciplinary network of researchers in animal science, computer science and engineering to improve computer vision systems in precision livestock farming. (Feedstuffs)
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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
The massive American Rescue Plan President Biden signed into law yesterday should be bullish for animal health. 40% of US households have been negatively impacted economically by the COVID-19 pandemic. This cash infusion means that more households will have more disposable income to spend on pets and their veterinary care.
Veterinarians have already benefitted from those who remained employed during the pandemic. Those households had extra disposable income that they weren’t spending on vacations, restaurants, movies and other forms of entertainment. Overall, the majority of veterinary practices prospered in 2020.
And let’s not forget the food animal sector. The greater the household income, the higher percentage of the food dollar that goes to beef, pork and other proteins, for both in-home and out-of-home dining. The Rescue Plan, along with declining cases of COVID, is good news for the industry.
John Volk
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YOUR VIEW
Last week we asked which of five Jack Welch quotes you liked the best. The winner was “Life is too short to spend every day doing something you don’t love” (34%), followed by “Face reality as it is, not as it was, or as you wish it to be’ (25%).
This week
This week the USA should surpass 100 million COVID vaccines administered. We’d like to know: Have you had your jab yet? We’ll report by age group in next week’s newsletter.
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