Animal Health News & Notes for September 23, 2022

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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for September 23, 2022
Copyright © Brakke Consulting
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:

Brakke Consulting News
AnimalHealthJobs

Earnings News
General Mills

Other News
AnimalBiome
Antech Diagnostics
Diversigen
Elanco
Fetch by The Dodo
Fidelio
HappyBond
Instacart
Mars (Instacart)
Mars (Diversigen)
Merck
Petabyte Technology
PetDx
Syntr Health Technologies
Vence
Vimian

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ANIMAL HEALTH JOBS

Are you involved in hiring for your company? Then Animal Health Jobs wants to hear from you!

How difficult is it for your company to find the talent that you need?  Chances are, it has become more difficult.  It’s challenging for HR and talent leaders.

Animal Health Jobs wants to hear your thoughts on the hiring market. We’re conducting a survey to gain a deeper understanding on hiring in the Animal Health Industry. We will share these animal health and nutrition industry specific results with you in future blogs and white papers at Animal Health Jobs.

Once you complete the survey, you will be entered into a drawing for one of twenty- $10 Starbucks e-gift cards. The survey link will close Friday, October 7th. You will notified by email before the gift card is sent

CLICK HERE to take the survey!

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EARNINGS NEWS RELEASES

• General Mills reported results for the fiscal first quarter ended August 28, 2022. Net sales for the Pet segment increased 19% to $580 million. Segment operating profit increased 7% to $123 million. (company press release)

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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES

• Merck Animal Health announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vence, an innovator in virtual fencing for rotational grazing and livestock management, from its founders and shareholders. Vence technology is currently available in the United States and parts of Australia. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Businesswire)
• Mars Petcare announced that Instacart will now offer same-day delivery on Mars pet food brands including Cesar, Pedigree and Iams. The grocery delivery platform now services about 90% of North American households. (Pet Products SmartBrief)
• Mars Petcare announced a partnership with Diversigen, a microbiome services company and subsidiary of OraSure Technologies. Diversigen will sequence microbiome samples from dogs and cats enrolled in Mars’ Petcare Biobank study to generate insights on cat and dog microbiomes. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• Antech Diagnostics announced that is now an authorized reseller of PetDx‘s OncoK9 multi-cancer early detection (MCED) in the US and Canada. (company press release)
• American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and Petabyte Technology announced the launch of the AAHA Benchmarking platform, setting new standards for benchmarking analytics and data in the veterinary profession. AAHA Benchmarking features standardized data, live metrics, and easy-to-interpret analytics to guide veterinary teams towards better business and medical decisions. (association press release)
• Pet insurance company Fetch by The Dodo (previously known as Petplan) announced that it has created a dog disease database that will enable dog owners to learn what medical conditions their pet is at risk for, and to take preventive measures. Dog owners will be able to get a comprehensive health report on their dog by entering the breed, age, and zip code where the dog lives in a link on the Fetch by The Dodo website. (Forbes)
• Syntr Health Technologies and HappyBond announced a partnership to develop a new supplement targeting canine knee and joint osteoarthritis using Syntr Health’s patented SynterFugeK9 automated microfat processing system and HappyBond’s patented collagen supplement for a “synergistic therapy” for degenerative joint disease in dogs. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)
• AnimalBiome announced the launch of their first annual State of the Gut report. Compiled by a team of veterinary scientists and data analysts, there will be two versions of the report available: one for consumers and one for veterinarians. (company press release)
• UK Elanco announced the UK launch of Hemicell XT, a new nutrient-sparing enzyme for pig and poultry that enhances gut-health by supporting nutrient uptake.  XT’s enzyme concentration is 2.25 times higher than Elanco’s original Hemicell HT formulation, and can be applied in complete feeds, premixes, or specialty mixes. (pig-world.co.uk)
• SWEDEN Vimian announced it has raised SEK1.5 billion ($136.3 million) before transaction costs by issuing 51,727,442 shares at a price of SEK29 each. Fidelio, Vimian’s largest shareholder, has subscribed for shares representing about 63% of the total issued. Proceeds from the share issue will be used to continue capturing strategic M&A opportunities. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)

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ANIMAL HEALTH STOCK PRICE TRACKER

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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS

• US – DRUG REGULATIONS The Generic Animal Drug Alliance announced that H.R. 8857, the Generic Animal Drug Advancement Act, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.  If passed the Act will update the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to correct current limitations to the approval of generic animal drug applications. The legislation would expand pathways for generic animal drugs to be approved as combination products, and update FDA animal drug labeling requirements to allow generic animal drugs to gain approval for a single species, rather than all species, labeled on a pioneer drug. (association press release)
• US – VETERINARY COMPOUNDING The FDA recently announced that it will delay enforcing new industry guidance on compounding animal drugs until April 2023. The guidance, which affects medications compounded from bulk drug substances, was set to be enforced starting October 1. (Vet Advantage)
• US – FIP GUIDELINES The American Association of Feline Practitioners and EveryCat Health Foundation announced the release of the 2022 AAFP/EveryCat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines. These guidelines, published in the September issue of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, provide veterinarians with the information necessary to diagnose FIP in cats. (association press release)
• US – SPAY & NEUTER Researchers at the University of Florida have found that the pandemic has led to a decline in spay-neuter surgeries, putting at risk decades-long progress controlling overpopulation of dogs and cats. The decline was spurred by lockdowns at the start of the pandemic, followed by staffing shortages in clinics and shelters, overcrowding and lagging pet adoption rates. Using 2019 as a baseline, they looked at a set of 212 spay-neuter clinics across the country and found they performed 190,818 fewer surgeries than would have been expected between January 2020 and December 2021. (Vet Advantage)
• UK – CBD RESEARCH A study conducted by Waltham Petcare Science Institute – a part of Mars Petcare – has found that daily oral cannabidiol (CBD) supplements for dogs are safe.  The study of 40 healthy dogs found no significant differences in the hematology or biochemistry of dogs receiving the CBD supplements, placebo and no supplements.  Results were published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. (IHS Markit Connect – subscription)

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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
We are trying something new this week in our Viewpoint, hoping to dispel the idea that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. To learn about the impact of videos in recruiting, all you need to do is click on the link below…to a short video.  Even an old dog would have seen that coming!

Click here to view our video viewpoint.

Jeff Santosuosso

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YOUR VIEW
Last week, we asked about 100% electric cars.  6% of you own one or more now, and 19% intend to buy one in the next 2-3 years; 43% said you might own one someday.  One-third said that you will probably never own one unless required to by law.

This week
Have you used video for corporate introductions and/or recruiting?