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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for April 20, 2018
Copyright © Brakke Consulting, Inc.
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting news
Transaction assistance
other news
Alivira Animal Health
Bay Medical Solutions
Bremer Pharma
C.J. Foods
CannTrust Holdings
Dechra Veterinary Products (Redonyl)
Dechra Veterinary Products (PVC)
Elanco
FibreCycle
Grey Wolf Animal Health
IDT Biologika
Kemin Nutrisurance
Kent Pet Group
Lortscher Animal Nutrition
Med Vets Inc
PetIQ
PharmAust
Piensos Unzué
Royal De Heus
Stone Mfg.
VIP Petcare Holdings
Zydus Cadila
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BRAKKE CONSULTING, INC.
TRANSACTION ASSISTANCE
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www.BrakkeConsulting.com
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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
• PharmAust announced an agreement with Elanco to develop monepantel, an antiparasitic drug for sheep and goats, to treat cancer in dogs and humans. Elanco will have first right to negotiate for the worldwide commercial license for PharmAust’s intellectual property in treating cancer in animals. Elanco will supply PharmAust’s next clinical trials of the drug in dogs. (news.com.au)
• Dechra Veterinary Products announced the launch of Redonyl Ultra Soft Chews, a palatable veterinary nutraceutical to support health skin function in dogs with seasonal allergies. (company press release)
• C.J. Foods, Inc., announced that they have acquired Lortscher Animal Nutrition, Inc., (LANI) a custom milling and ingredient supplier based in Kansas. LANI will continue to operate as a separate business unit under its current name. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Petfoodindustry.com)
• Kemin Nutrisurance announced the launch of Palasurance P Series, a plant-based solution for palatability, in North America and Asia Pacific. The new product line, an extension of the flagship brand for all types of pet food, addresses the increased popularity of limited-ingredient pet food diets associated with consumer demand for clean ingredient labels on pet food products. (PRnewswire)
• Stone Mfg. announced that its Veterinary Smart Rabies Tags are now cross-linked to the Pet’s Microchip number, and has a new feature which allows pet owners the ability to upload their pet’s veterinarian-signed rabies and vaccination certificates, so they can now have proof for boarding facilities, right on their smartphone. (company press release)
• A lawsuit has been filed against PetIQ Inc., on behalf of pet medication distributors Med Vets Inc. and Bay Medical Solutions Inc., citing an alleged unlawful merger and other antitrust violations. The lawsuit claims PetIQ’s acquisition of veterinary clinic operator VIP Petcare Holdings Inc. will harm competition in the wholesale markets for prescription and restricted pet parasiticides by allowing the manufacturer to monopolize on the distribution of wellness products like Frontline Plus and HeartGard to nonveterinary retailers, such as Walmart and PetSmart. (Veterinary Practice News)
• EU Dechra Veterinary Products announced the launch of a range of tools that will help owners of dogs with Cushing syndrome to monitor the clinical responses. According to Dechra, Pre-Vetoryl Cortisol (PVC) monitoring at home is a reliable alternative to traditional ACTH stimulation tests for several reasons: it predicts clinical signs better, gives more consistent results, is less expensive and easier to perform. (Zenopa)
• GERMANY SeQuent Scientific Limited announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Alivira Animal Health Limited through Alivira Ireland, has signed an agreement with simultaneous closing to acquire 100% of Bremer Pharma, Zydus Cadila’s Animal Health Business in Germany. Bremer registered sales of EUR 6.7 million ($8.3 million) in the year ending March 31, 2018 with marginal losses. This acquisition provides Alivira’s with a beta-lactam & non-beta lactam injectables facility for EU markets. Financial terms were not disclosed. (company press release)
• EU IDT Biologika announced the European launch of a third-generation version of Rabitec, a new oral rabies vaccine. The vaccine is registered in 31 European states to immunize the main reservoir species in Europe, which are foxes and racoon dogs. (Animal Pharm)
• CANADA CannTrust Holdings Inc. announced that it has entered into a letter of intent with Grey Wolf Animal Health Inc. to develop cannabis products to support the well-being of pets. (Canada newswire)
• AUSTRALIA Kent Pet Group, Inc., the maker of World’s Best Cat Litter, announced it has acquired FibreCycle Pty Ltd, an Australian manufacturer of recycled-paper cat litters and small-pet bedding brands. This acquisition adds cat litter brands Breeders Choice and BreederCelect and small-animal bedding brand Back-2-Nature into the Kent Pet Group family. Financial terms were not disclosed. (PetBusiness)
• SPAIN Dutch feed and feed additive specialist Royal De Heus announced the acquisition of Piensos Unzué, increasing its coverage for ruminant feed in northern Spain. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Animal Pharm)
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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
• ALGERIA – PRION DISEASE A new prion disease has been discovered in dromedary camels in the Ouargla region of Algeria. The new disease has been called Camel Prion Disease. The relatively high frequency of the disease and the involvement of the lymphoreticular system suggest that it is a transmissible disease among the animals and widespread in the region. The results of the investigations conducted so far suggest that the dromedary disease is different from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the only animal prion disease demonstrated to date that can be transmitted to humans. (Outbreaknewstoday)
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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
There were no quarterly financial reports for public companies in the news this week. I guess we need to be patient and they will come out when ready and scheduled for the financial community. We have found in the past that the combined first quarter reports often establish a trend for the year, which can be either positive or negative. We still believe that the animal health market will grow in the 5 to 6% range in 2018 unless the unusually cold spring in some parts of the US dampens the parasiticide sales. It’s easy to put the blame on the weather if you’ve been scooping snow in April. There are a couple big disruptive business development activities in the works, but nothing has hit the news yet; we’ll need to wait a few weeks for official announcements.
Have a great weekend and hope for warm weather!
Ron Brakke
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