***********************************
Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for November 22, 2019
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
************************************
IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting News
Flea, Tick and Heartworm Markets report – order today to receive a discount!
Earnings News
Alivira
GA Pet Food Partners
JBS
Kane Biotech
Other News
Boehringer Ingelheim
Ethos Veterinary Health
FirstVet
Hippo Manager
Labiana Life Sciences
Merck
Modern Veterinary Therapeutics
OMERS
PetSmart
Scratchpay
ShotVet
Tomlyn Veterinary Science
Varian
VCA
Veterinarski Zavod Subotica
***********************************
BRAKKE CONSULTING
2019 US FLEA CONTROL AND HEARTWORM MARKETS REPORT
EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS MONDAY!
Are you on top of the trends in the largest market segment in companion animal health? Brakke Consulting will soon be publishing our 2019 report on the US Flea Control and Heartworm Markets.
The report includes valuable information on the US market for small animal parasiticides including:
– Product descriptions, prices (veterinarian cost and online pricing), and sales for the leading veterinary flea, tick and heartworm products
– an overview of the veterinary and OTC flea control markets
– discussion of new heartworm products, including CORAXIS, MILBEGUARD, PROHEART 12, and BRAVECTO PLUS
– 2019 survey of 390 veterinarians
– 2019 survey of 500 pet owners
The report on the US Flea Control & Heartworm Markets will be available for a purchase price of $7,250 if ordered by MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, and $7,750 after that date.
Please contact Dr. Lynn Fondon at 336-396-3916 or lfondon@brakkeconsulting.com to pre-order the report, or for more information visit our website.
************************************
COMPANY EARNINGS RELEASES
- SeQuent Scientific Limited, which has businesses across Animal Health (Alivira) & Analytical Services, announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2019. Revenues were INR 2,842 million ($40 million), an increase of 13% year-over-year. (company press release)
- Kane Biotech announced its third quarter 2019 financial results. Total revenues were C$286,838 (US$216,000), an increase of 127% compared to the prior-year quarter. The loss for the quarter was C$(821,554), compared to a loss of $(979,920) for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. (company press release)
- UK firm GA Pet Food Partners announced financial results for the fiscal year ended January 26, 2019. Turnover increased 8% to GBP 122 million ($157 million). Operating profit dropped 38% to GBP 393,000 ($507,000). (GlobalPets)
- JBS S.A. reported results for the 2019 third quarter. Net income in the quarter was approximately $85 million (356.7 million reals), compared to a loss of approximately $(32) million in the third quarter of 2018. For the company’s US operations net revenue rose 11.4% to $8.45 billion for JBS USA Pork and rose 3.8% to $5.63 billion for JBS USA Beef. Pilgrim’s Pride net revenue also improved, rising 3% to $2.78 billion. (Feedstuffs)
************************************
COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
- Merck Animal Health announced the FDA has approved Bravecto Plus (fluralaner and moxidectin) topical solution for cats. Bravecto Plus is indicated ticks and fleas, heartworm, intestinal roundworm and hookworm, and provides extended protection for up to two months with one application. (company press release)
- VCA Animal Hospitals announced a new partnership with the cancer care company Varian to provide advanced pet cancer radiotherapy at VCA’s specialty hospitals. (Vet Advantage)
- PetSmart announced it has expanded its partnership with ShotVet, a mobile vaccination provider. ShotVet clinic services will be offered in select PetSmart stores that do not have a veterinary practice inside. The program was launched earlier this year in select markets and will expand over time to include clinics in more than 400 stores. (Pet Product News)
- Tomlyn Veterinary Science announced the launch of Urinary Tract Health and Loose Stool Remedy – Firm Fast. Urinary Tract Health tablets contain compounds from cranberry extract to help maintain normal urinary tract function and support healthy elimination. Loose Stool Remedy, available in gel and tablets, helps cat and dog parents manage occasional loose stools. (Yahoo Finance)
- VetBloom, the digital learning ecosystem from Ethos Veterinary Health, announced it will collaborate with IBM to form a group focused on the application of blockchain for learning credentials in the veterinary industry. The goal is to create a framework for competency-based medical education using digital badges to support credentialing. (company press release)
- Scratchpay and Hippo Manager announced a partnership that will allow Hippo Manager practices to access client-specific payment plans offered through Scratchpay, directly from the Hippo Manager home screen. (company press release)
- FirstVet, a Sweden-based veterinary telehealth company, announced that it closed a recent funding round with the equivalent of $20.6 million led by the venture capital segment of OMERS, a Canada pension fund. This funding will allow FirstVet to expand its service globally, including to the United States. (Vet Advantage)
- EU The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) adopted a positive opinion for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health‘s Aservo (ciclesonide) EquiHaler, which is designed to alleviate clinical signs associated with chronic severe equine asthma. (Animal Pharm)
- CANADA Modern Veterinary Therapeutics, LLC announced that the Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD) has approved Maprelin XP-10 (peforelin injection) in Canada for use in swine. Maprelin XP-10 is a sterile injectable synthetic gonadotropin releasing hormone for the induction of the estrus cycle in sows after weaning, and in sexually mature gilts following therapy to inhibit the estrus cycle with progestogens. (company press release)
- SERBIA Labiana Life Sciences announced it has acquired Serbian vaccines and chemotherapy products specialist Veterinarski Zavod Subotica. The deal was valued at EUR 9.6 million ($10.6 million). (Animal Pharm)
***********************************
ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER
***********************************
ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
- US – COMPOUNDING The FDA is requesting public comment on new draft guidance for industry (GFI) #256, entitled “Compounding Animal Drugs from Bulk Drug Substances.” The new draft guidance, if finalized, would advise veterinarians on circumstances under which FDA does not intend to take action for certain violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) when pharmacists and veterinarians compound or oversee the compounding of animal drugs from bulk drug substances. The agency is also developing the “List of Bulk Drug Substances for Compounding Office Stock Drugs for Use in Nonfood-Producing Animals or Antidotes for Food-Producing Animals.” Comments on draft GFI #256 will be accepted at any time but should be submitted no later than February 18, 2020. To electronically submit comments to the docket, visit regulations.gov and type FDA-2018-D-4533 in the search box. (FDA)
- US – ASF PREPAREDNESS Officials from throughout the US gathered recently for an exercise to help them prepare for a potential domestic outbreak of African swine fever. It was part of a four-day training program hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and the USDA’s Foreign Animal Diagnostic Laboratory. Federal, state and scientific institutions participated in the course, with representation from 32 states. (Vet Advantage)
- US – DAIRY RESEARCH The University of Wisconsin announced it has opened a dairy innovation hub, which will be guided by a new advisory council. The hub has received state funding of $8.8 million to harness R&D at the its three campuses. (Animal Pharm)
- The FDA announced an open period for applications for grants to support the development and approval or conditional approval of new animal drugs intended to treat uncommon diseases (minor uses) in major species (horses, dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens) or to treat minor species (MUMS). The individual award amount has been increased to a single funding level up to $250,000. This is Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number PAR-18-827. The deadline to submit applications is January 17, 2020, through grants.gov or the NIH ASSIST system. (FDA)
- WORLD – ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE The leading global animal health businesses have committed over $10 billion as part of 25 actions that will reduce the need for antibiotics in animals by 2025. Members of HealthforAnimals have pledged to support 25 measurable actions to improve disease prevention, detection and treatment. HealthforAnimals said it will track member progress towards the goals and release public updates in 2021 and 2023. (Animal Pharm)
- UK – ONEHEALTH Researchers from The Pirbright Institute have been awarded $5.5 million by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a Livestock Antibody Hub aimed at improving animal and human health globally. The program utilize research outcomes in cattle, pig and poultry antibody responses to support human health as part of the “One Health” agenda. (Feedstuffs)
- CANADA – CBD RESEARCH Researchers at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College are studying the effects of CBD on bladder cancer cells, as well as how it affects chemotherapy and radiation in dogs. (Vet Advantage – CBC)
- AUSTRALIA – FELINE DISEASE RESEARCH A new virus discovered by researchers at the University of Sydney could potentially be a cause behind liver cancer in cats. Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) – in the same family as hepatitis B in humans – was first found in a feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-positive cat that died of lymphoma. The research team has now identified DCH in certain types of feline hepatitis and liver cancer. The research was published in the journal Viruses. (Animal Pharm)
- US – DOG AGE Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, say they have a new formula to convert dog years to human years. The work is based on a relatively new concept in aging research: that the addition of methyl groups to specific DNA sequences tracks biological age in humans and other mammals. The research was based on the DNA methylation patterns in the genomes of 104 Labrador Retrievers, ranging from 4 weeks to 16 years of age. To test the dog age calculator, click here.
************************************
BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
There is a lot to reflect on in this week’s News and Notes, especially on the topics of antibiotic use in animals, new drug approvals and new partnerships. But in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, there was an editorial about topic that I thought was timely and worth reflecting on.
The Editorial Board’s opinion piece was titled, “What’s Your Degree Worth?” that points out a newly revamped Department of Education website that helps students receive a fuller picture of the earnings and debt associated with a specific degree and college. As a former student of Texas A&M and animal science major, I wanted to see what the salary range was for that major today is and also what the DOE says the outlook for veterinarians is today.
Animal science graduates at TAMU-College Station have an annual salary one year after graduation between $20,000 and $82,000 and the average annual cost is $20,000. The graduation rate is 80%, 14 points lower than the highest, which is Cornell. Alas, the site doesn’t provide information on advanced degrees, so I wasn’t able to see what the data is for DVM/VMDs and compare it to the rich data the AVMA has. But the salary range for a Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences graduate from my other alma mater, the University of Illinois is $17,000 to $92,000. The graduation rate is 86% and the average annual cost is $18,000. Not bad at all.
Why bring this up? Many of you reading this are parents (or grandparents) and given the upcoming holiday time, many of you will have time to talk to your kids (and grandkids) about their career, what major to choose and what college to attend, how much it costs and graduation rates. Don’t miss the opportunity. The other reason to bring this up is that at least two of the science-based degrees common in our animal health industry have the potential to be quite well-paying soon after graduation. So, if you have the chance, bring it up.
Bob Jones
English (United States) 
Portuguese