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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for September 21, 2018
Copyright © Brakke Consulting, Inc.
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting news
The Companion Animal Veterinary Telehealth Landscape report – last week for early-order discount
Market Research
other news
AAHA
Anivive Lifesciences
Avivagen
Boehringer Ingelheim – NexGard
Elanco – IPO
Elanco – Credelio
Merck – Prime Pac PRRS RR
Merck – Bravecto
Petplan
Purina
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Tropichem
Zoetis – Cytopoint
Zoetis – Simparica
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BRAKKE CONSULTING, INC.
NEW REPORT
THE COMPANION ANIMAL VETERINARY TELEHEALTH LANDSCAPE
LAST WEEK FOR EARLY ORDER DISCOUNT
Veterinary Telehealth is coming: will you be ready?
Telehealth and telemedicine are one of the hottest topics in human medicine. Over half of all human hospitals use some form of telehealth, and the leading telehealth provider boasts over 20 million subscribers. In the past few years, veterinary medicine has also seen the launch of telehealth providers aimed at connecting pet owners and veterinarians using new technologies.
What exactly is veterinary telehealth? Is it legal? Who are the companies offering telehealth services? How many veterinarians are already integrating telehealth into their practices, and how many are thinking about it? What kind of telehealth services do veterinarians want? How many pet owners are aware of these healthcare options, and are using them?
Brakke Consulting’s new report, The Companion Animal Veterinary Telehealth Landscape, answers these questions and more. The report includes:
• The evolution of veterinary telehealth, including growth drivers and barriers
• A review of the regulations governing veterinary telehealth
• An overview of the players in the veterinary telehealth space
• A survey of nearly 450 companion animal veterinarians probing their awareness and use of veterinary telehealth, interest in using telehealth in the future, and the services they would desire in a telehealth platform.
• A survey of 500 pet owners probing their awareness and use of telehealth for pets, interest in telehealth and the ways in which they would use telehealth for their pets
• Thoughts on the future of veterinary telehealth
The Companion Animal Veterinary Telehealth Landscape report can be purchased for $4,750 if ordered by September 30, 2018, and $5,500 thereafter. The report will be completed in early October. Questions about the study can be answered by project manager Lynn Fondon, DVM, MBA at 972-243-4033, or email Lfondon@brakkeconsulting.com.
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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
• The FDA is alerting pet owners and veterinarians to be aware of the potential for neurologic adverse events in dogs and cats when treated with drugs that are in the isoxazoline class. Since these products have obtained their respective FDA approvals, data received by the agency as part of its routine post-marketing activities indicates that some animals receiving Bravecto (Merck), Nexgard (Boehringer Ingelheim / Merial) or Simparica (Zoetis) have experienced adverse events such as muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures. Another product in this class, Credelio (Elanco), recently received FDA approval. These products are approved for the treatment and prevention of flea infestations, and the treatment and control of tick infestations. The FDA is working with manufacturers of isoxazoline products to include new label information to highlight neurologic events because these events were seen consistently across the isoxazoline class of products. (FDA)
• Zoetis announced that Cytopoint, which was licensed in 2016 for use in canine atopic dermatitis cases, is now approved for the treatment of allergic dermatitis. (Todays Veterinary Business)
• Merck Animal Health announced the launch of Prime Pac PRRS RR, a vaccine that provides protection against respiratory and reproductive diseases caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus in swine. Prime Pac PRRS RR is indicated for use in healthy swine 3 weeks of age or older against respiratory disease caused by PRRS virus and female breeding-age swine against reproductive disease caused by PRRS. (company press release)
• Elanco began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on September 20, 2018, under the ticker symbol ‘ELAN’. The initial public offering (IPO) of 62.9 million shares of common stock was priced at $24 each and ended the day at $35.94 per share. The offering is expected to close on September 24, 2018. (marketwatch)
• Purina announced the launch of the new Purina Institute, the global voice of Purina’s science representing its more than 500 scientists, veterinarians, and pet care experts who are on a mission to advance nutritional science to help pets live longer, healthier lives. The Purina Institute will provide veterinarians with science-based, user-friendly facts and information that will support them in their interactions with pet owners. (company press release)
• Anivive Lifesciences announced it has licensed an antiviral compound for treating feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) from Kansas State University. Anivive and KSU will work together to further develop and commercialize the compound. (Veterinary Practice News)
• Thermo Fisher Scientific launched the Applied Biosystems VetMAX MastiType Multi qPCR Kit. The new kit is designed to detect 15 mastitis-causing bacteria and an antibiotic resistance gene through just one diagnostic test. The VetMAX kit enables same-day results in 2½ – 3 hours. (Animal Pharm)
• The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and Petplan pet insurance have teamed up to launch the AAHA Pet Health Insurance Program, offered by Petplan. (association press release)
• CANADA Tropichem announced the strategic expansion of its North American manufacturing capabilities, adding a non-sterile liquid facility for production of anti-parasiticide spot-ons and other registered product categories in Montreal, Quebec. The company’s Montreal location was chosen based on the company’s March 2018 acquisition of Tetragenx, leveraging the existing validation batch scale manufacturing for product development and technical transfers. (company press release)
• CANADA Avivagen Inc. announced that it has received approval by the TSX Venture Exchange to extend the expiry date of outstanding warrants exercisable to purchase 1,163,738 common shares at $1.00 per share, as well as a second tranche of outstanding warrants exercisable to purchase 2,774,991 common shares at $0.90 per share. These warrants had been set to expire on October 1, 2018; the new expiry date for both sets of warrants is January 31, 2019. (company press release)
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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
• BELGIUM – ASF Belgium reported that African Swine Fever has been confirmed in two wild boars near the Belgium-France border, the first time the country has been struck by the disease since 1985. This is the first reported case in Western Europe since the disease was identified in Eastern European countries in 2014. (Feedstuffs, Animal Pharm)
• US – HURRICANE LOSSES North Carolina state officials out in the field since Hurricane Florence hit have reported that 3.4 million chickens and turkeys perished from the storm, a level that the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Service says exceeds the poultry losses from Hurricane Matthew. Hog losses are estimated to be about 5,500 head. The numbers could change based on further recovery efforts. (Feedstuffs)
• US – HEARTWORM GUIDELINES The American Heartworm Society released its updated 2018 Canine Heartworm Guidelines. The Guidelines can be read at https://heartwormsociety.org/images/pdf/2018-AHS-Canine-Guidelines.pdf. (Vet Advantage)
• US – ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) unveiled “Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings: Goals for Fiscal Years 2019-2023,” a blueprint for guiding its activities over the next five years to combat antimicrobial resistance and preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs. The phased approach will allow for adjustments based on critical, science-based analysis, public health impact, and feedback from stakeholders. The plan can be found at https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/AntimicrobialResistance/UCM620420.pdf?utm_campaign=9-14-2018-AMR&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elqTrackId=1C7DF29E28F3BA0F56261BE34EA1C958&elq=0ba03d326e8a42e68dbc8a9770a1f9c2&elqaid=5079&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=4063 . (FDA)
• US – COOL LABELING The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF) recently launched a grassroots campaign to reinstate mandatory country of origin labels (COOL) on beef products. R-CALF has raised $50,000 as part of a nationwide “Label Our Beef” campaign. (Vet Advantage)
• US – VETERINARY SCHOOLS The Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine has been awarded a $3.18 million federal grant to launch a program designed to increase diversity in the profession and address veterinarian shortages in rural areas. The Vet Up! program —short for Vet Up! The National Health Careers Opportunity Program Academy for Veterinary Medicine — will feature: a yearlong program to assist high school students, working adults and undergraduate students on the path toward a veterinary medical degree; a summer immersion program to prepare undergraduate students to apply to veterinary school; and an effort to support Purdue veterinary medical students and prepare them for careers in veterinary shortage areas. (Today’s Veterinary Business)
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BRAKKE CONSULTING, INC.
MARKET RESEARCH
Depend on Brakke Consulting to meet your company’s market research needs, whether it is:
• Assessing the feasibility of a new product or technology
• Identifying the opinions and trends of veterinarians, pet owners or producers
• Determining the current market for products
With our in-house database of over 9,000 veterinarians and the ability to custom-tailor surveys of a wide variety of target audiences, we provide reliable insights into this unique industry. We also produce multi-client reports in a number of high-interest animal health market areas. For more information, see our website or call our Dallas office at 972-243-4033.
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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
Congratulations to the Elanco management team in completing their initial public offering! The apparent IPO success of the fourth largest animal health company again demonstrates the appetite of investors for participating in the animal health marketplace. If the price of the Elanco stock remains positive after the initial days of the IPO, will that encourage other pharma companies owning animal health divisions to consider an IPO for their animal health division?
It is also interesting to note that of the top 11 international animal health companies, nearly all at this point are either pure-play public animal health companies or divisions of large pharmaceutical corporations.
It is an interesting and dynamic time in the animal health industry with more excitement yet to come!
Have a great weekend!
Ron Brakke
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Brakke Consulting, Inc.
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Dallas, TX 75234 USA
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