The Experts in Animal Health

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for May 12, 2023
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting News
Industry Overview Japan

Earnings News
Cryoport
Elanco
Freshpet
Heska
Orion
Pet Valu Holdings
PetIQ
Swedencare
Trupanion

Other News
Agolin
Alltech
Amicogen
Dechra
dsm-firmenich
Jaguar Animal Health
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Lysando
Merck
Midmark
MyAnIML
Structured Monitoring Products
VetriScience
Ÿnsect
Zoetis
Zomedica

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BRAKKE CONSULTING
Announcing the 2023 Brakke Industry Overview – Japan
Presented via webinar on June 7, 2023, 10:00 am -12:00 pm (Japan Time) 

Brakke Consulting will present a special edition of  its highly regarded Animal Health Industry Overview specifically for Japan on June 7.  The presentation will be both in English and Japanese.  Key topics and presenters include:

  • Industry and top global company performance in 2022, and a preview of 2023 performance, presented by Bob Jones
  • What a new normal looks like in veterinary practices and for pet owners in the United States, presented by John Volk
  • A closer look at US pet pharmacy consumerization and how we can all thrive in this new era, presented by Bob Jones
  • A Q&A session to follow

This information-packed 2-hour session will be especially valuable for executive leadership, sales and marketing, strategy, and finance managers and for decision makers in the animal health industry. You will gain a better understanding of the US market and how those trends might be seen in Japan.

Sign up using this link. You can also email Amanda McDavid or call at +1-336-396-3916. Registration cost is $500 and $1,200 for three or more attendees from the same company meeting room.

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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES

  • Elanco Animal Health reported financial results for the first quarter of 2023. Revenue was $1,257 million, an increase of 3% on a reported basis (+6% currency adjusted). Net income was $103 million compared with net income of $51 million for the same period in 2022. (company press release)
  • Heska Corporation reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Consolidated revenue was $62.4 million, a decline of 4%. Net loss attributable to Heska was $(10.1) million compared to a loss of $(10.0) million in the prior year quarter. (seekingalpha)
  • PetIQ, Inc. reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Net sales were $291 million, an increase of 5.4%. Products segment net sales were $259 million, an increase of 4.5%. Net income was $9.8 million compared to net income of $3.2 million in the prior-year quarter. (company press release)
  • Swedencare reported earnings for the first quarter of 2023. Revenues were SEK 523.2 million ($51 million), an increase of 39% (+10% organic growth). Profit after tax was SEK 17.2 million ($1.7 million) compared to SEK 14.7 million in the prior-year quarter. (Globalpets)
  • Orion Group reported results for the first quarter of 2023. Animal Health revenues were EUR 26.9 million, a 103% increase from the prior-year quarter. Orion acquired V.M.D. NV in June 2022. (company website)
  • Freshpet, Inc. reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Net sales were $167.5 million, an increase of 26.7%. Net loss was $(24.8) million, compared with prior year net loss of $(17.5) million. (Globenewswire)
  • Trupanion, Inc. announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Total revenue was $256 million, an increase of 24% compared to the first quarter of 2022. Total enrolled pets (including pets from our other business segment) was 1,616,865 at March 31, 2023, an increase of 28% . Net loss was $(24.8) million, which included $8.6 million of non-recurring expenses, compared to net loss of $(8.9) million in the first quarter of 2022. (company press release)
  • Pet Valu Holdings announced its financial results for the first quarter ended April 1, 2023. Revenue was C$250.3 million (US$187 million), up 17.4% versus last year. Net income was C$18.7 million (US$14 million), down from C$22.6 million in the prior year. (seekngalpha)
  • Cryoport, Inc. announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Animal Health revenues were $8.9 million, a 30% year-over-year increase. (PRNewswire)

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

  • The FDA announced it has approved Zoetis‘ Librela (bedinvetmab injection) monoclonal antibody for the control of pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. Librela is given by subcutaneous injection once a month. (FDA)
  • Zomedica announced it has exercised its option to move forward with the acquisition of Structured Monitoring Products, Inc. (SMP), the makers of VetGuardian zero-touch vital signs remote monitoring system, at a previously negotiated purchase price. Zomedica has been distributing the VetGuardian system since January 2023. (com)
  • VetriScience announced the launch of the Allergy Plus chew supplement for dogs. The active ingredients in Allergy Plus include Omega-3 essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics that work together to regulate and minimize the immune system’s response to common allergens. (Pet Business)
  • Midmark introduced the Midmark Bite-Resistant DR Sensore with a patent-pending geometric sensor housing that is four times stronger than its standard sensor. (company announcement)
  • Jaguar Animal Health announced that Canalevia-CA1 is now available from Chewy’s pet pharmacy. (accesswire)
  • dsm-firmenich announced the merger of DSM and Firmenich and the resulting launch of a new company in the space of animal nutrition and human health and beauty. The new company has been structured into 4 businesses, one of which is animal nutrition and health. (Feedstuffs – subscription)
  • Lallemand Animal Nutrition announced the launch of its new companion animal product line, Lalprobiome, that will offer a wide variety of yeast and bacteria strains allowing for food, treat and supplement customization. The first products launched are Trivant, a postbiotic that supports gut health and a strong immune system; and Prodigi, an active dry yeast probiotic. (Petfood Industry)
  • MyAnIML announced the release of its new geolocation technology to identify and find sick cattle 2-3 days in advance of symptoms to protect the health of the herd. MyAnIML’s patent-pending technology employs artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict a broad range of total health indicators using the industry’s first facial – specifically a cow’s muzzle – recognition library dataset. Its newly released Bluetooth-enabled ear tag helps producers quickly find the individual animal in the herd in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. (company press release)
  • Amicogen announced it has teamed up with Lysando to develop a novel and innovative solution against mastitis in dairy cows based on Lysando’s Artilysin technology. (DVM360)
  • AUSTRALIA Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced the approval of Merck’s Fluralaner Lousicide for Sheep, the world’s first oral product for managing lice (Bovicola ovis) in sheep. (Agriland)
  • UK Dechra announced it has taken on the distribution of cat kidney health products Porus One and Add One. Porus One contains renaltec, a selective absorber that absorbs the precursors of uremic toxins in the cat’s intestine that would normally be removed or regulated by healthy kidneys. Add One is a moist cat treat for senior cats to help support kidney health. (co.uk)
  • SWITZERLAND Alltech announced it has acquired a majority interest in Agolin, a Swiss company that develops and produces plant-based nutrition solutions that improve herd performance, profitability and sustainability. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Feed Strategy)
  • FRANCE Ÿnsect announced the launch of Sprÿng, its new B2B2C brand of insect-based ingredients specifically for the pet food and treat industry. The brand’s ingredients are neutral tasting and odorless, developed using mealworms, the larval form of the Tenebrio molitor, a species of beetle. (Petfood Processing)

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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

  • US – GENE EDITING Washington State University has received FDA authorization to have gene-edited pigs enter the food chain for human consumption, a first for the FDA. The FDA authorization is investigational, and limited to the five gene-edited pigs raised by WSU. The pigs were gene-edited with the gene-editing tool CRISPR in a way that would enable researchers to use them to sire offspring with traits from another male pig (known as surrogate sire technology).  (university press release)
  • US – GENE EDITING Scientists have collaborated to produce the first gene-edited calf with resistance to bovine viral diarrhea virus. The research – a collaboration between the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Kentucky and industry partners, Acceligen and Recombinetics, Inc. – was published in PNAS Nexus. (Feedstuffs – subscription)
  • US – GENE EDITING The FDA announced a joint project with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that aims to provide an important new resource for researchers and companies creating innovative animal biotechnology products by using genome editing to alter the genome of animals. Specifically, the project aims to generate standardized measurements for characterizing IGAs in cattle and swine that are developed using genome editing. (FDA)
  • US – CATTLE FEEDING SCAM A $150-million-plus ghost cattle feeding Ponzi scheme was recently exposed in Texas. McClain Farms Inc., 7M Cattle Feeders Inc. and McClain Feed Yard Inc. had all filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that anyone who sold livestock to and has not received payment from these entities should file Dealer Trust claims promptly. (Feedstuffs – subscription)
  • US – TELEMEDICINE Arizona’s governor has signed a bill into a law that allows veterinarians to use technology to deliver virtual care to pets. (com)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
Recently the French government announced a tender for securing vaccines for controlling High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the national flock. This is critically important, in that taking this positive step to control this important disease through a much more scientific and humane approach is the right approach in my opinion. The historical method of slaughter of millions of birds when we have effective tools – and as we are also faced with critical food shortage and cost – only makes sense.

On another note, it seems to me that there is an unusual amount of turnover in senior positions at the leading animal health companies. Where once there was almost benign stability, almost every quarter goes by with a big announcement. I’m not sure what is exactly causing this, but I guess part of is due to the role of being a publicly traded company and be seen to addressing performance issues. But it is not limited to those companies, but in fact is happening throughout the industry. Once seen as a stable environment for leadership and careers, now apparently much more turbulence and unpredictability. Eventually it affects the whole company in some manner, and maybe eventually customers. How is it in your company?

Paul Casady
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YOUR VIEW
Last week, we asked if you have changed your pet food purchasing behavior.  Most of you – 89% – said you hadn’t made any changes, but 7% had purchased a less expensive name brand, and 4% had purchased a less expensive store brand.

This week
Has your company seen a change in executive management (CEO, President, Head of Animal Health) in the past 2 years?

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