Scil, Butler Schein Sign Orthopedic Distribution AgreementJanuary 12, 2011 Butler Schein Animal Health has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Scil Animal Care Company Inc. to offer the Aesculap line of orthopedic implants and Osteosynthesis kits to the North American veterinary market. Butler Schein will prominently feature Aesculap’s Wire and Cerclages, Mini and Small/Large Fragment Sets, according to Scil of Gurnee, Ill. Scil said it chose Butler Schein to launch these new products to the North American veterinary market because “they are the leading companion animal health distribution company in the United States.” The Dublin, Ohio-based company has about 900 team members, including 300 field sales representatives and 200 telesales and customer support representatives. Butler Schein, in turn, identified an orthopedic need in their product offerings, according to Scil. The new partnership will officially launch at the North American Veterinary Conference on Jan. 15-18 in Orlando, Fla. Scil will also be launching their new Scil Vet Academy Continuing Education courses for 2011 in partnership with Butler Schein. Scil’s Surgical Sales Specialists will assist course attendees along with local sales representatives from Butler Schein. So far, more than 40 orthopedic continuing education courses are slated for 2011. For a list of classes, click …
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Study: Modest Growth In Pet Supplement SectorJanuary 11, 2011 Growth of pet supplement and nutraceutical treat sales in the U.S. stalled in 2010, but the category is expected to gradually pick back up in the next five years, according to a report released today by market research publisher Packaged Facts. “As the economy improves, so should all things pet, but that recovery continues to appear modest,” said David Lummis, senior pet market analyst for Packaged Facts. “Spending on supplements will increase, but restraint will likely continue to characterize how pet owners shop and what they buy during 2011 and even 2012, making value appeals based on pet health, safety, professionalism, practicality, and yes, pricing, more important than ever.” From 2006 to 2010, sales of pet supplements and nutraceutical treats grew at a compound annual growth rate of about 4 percent, to reach $1.2 billion in 2010, according to the report. Following zero overall growth in 2010, Packaged Facts forecasts U.S. retail sales of pet supplements and nutraceutical treats to begin to pick back up in 2011, with the annual sales gains regaining steam through 2015. By this account, the annual percentage increases will rise from 2.4 percent in 2011 to 6.5 percent in …
Online Vet Purchasing Group Reports Rapid GrowthJanuary 11, 2011 GroupDVM reported today that is has registered its 5,000th member. The Denver-based online veterinary purchasing group was launched in July 2010 to provide veterinary professionals with exclusive deals directly from animal health care manufacturers and authorized distributors. “The rapid growth and enthusiasm that we are seeing within the veterinary community surrounding GroupDVM is confirmation of our belief that the independent veterinarian needs and wants a voice in the market,” said Daryl Schraad, president of GroupDVM. “In addition, we provide product manufacturers and authorized animal health distributors a tremendous platform to offer their products and services directly to our members, which creates a win-win situation for everyone.” The daily and weekly deals feature 25 percent to 70 percent discounts on veterinary products and services, as well as reduced pricing on industry events such as conference registration fees. Each deal is available for a limited time and requires a minimum number of members to participate before it can be redeemed. As a result, GroupDVM is able to guarantee partnering product manufacturers and authorized distributors a pre-determined number of sales for every deal offered, according to the company. See Related Story: New Online Vet Buying Group …
Merial Gains Exclusive License For Staphylococcal VaccineJanuary 10, 2011 Centegen Inc. has granted Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga., an exclusive license for its staphylococcal vaccine for veterinary applications. Merial will develop and globally commercialize the CEN-102 vaccine, which is designed to reduce staphylococcal infections in ruminant animals. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but include license fees, milestone payments and tiered royalties on sales. “Staphylococci are one of the most prevalent causes of bovine mastitis that have eluded the development of effective vaccines so far,” said Frank Milward, DVM, head of Merial’s North America BioDevelopment. “We look forward to developing this vaccine further for this indication.” CEN-102 elicits potent antigen-specific T-cell and B-cell responses not present in unvaccinated animals, according to Centegen. The vaccine aims to protect against spontaneous staphylococcal infections, reduce the need for antibiotic use and significantly improve milk quality. The vaccine incorporates an antigen expressed on the cell surface throughout the entire life-cycle of all tested strains and species of staphylococci, according to the company. Centegen exclusively licensed the underlying intellectual property, in part, from the University of California, Davis. The Baltimore-based company said it will now focus on finding a development partner for human applications of the …
Aratana Enters Animal Health Industry With $20 Million In FundingJanuary 7, 2011 Aratana Therapeutics of Kansas City, Kan., reported today that it has received $20 million in Series A financing, led by MPM Capital and Avalon Ventures. The newly-formed company will focus on developing pharmaceutical therapies for the animal health industry. “At Aratana, we will be focused on taking advancements from the human biopharmaceutical industry and applying them in new ways to treat and care for animals,” said David Rosen, DVM, president and founder of Aratana Therapeutics. Specifically, Aratana will fund, develop and manage the clinical trials and development activities necessary to achieve regulatory approval, according to the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which awarded $1 million to the start-up company. The goal is to partner these products to animal health companies “that have a meaningful presence in the relevant sector of the animal health market.” Aratana will welcome Linda Rhodes, VMD, Ph.D., as CEO in February. Previously, Dr. Rhodes was founder and vice president of clinical development at AlcheraBio, an entrepreneurial contract research organization focused on helping major animal health companies develop new drugs. “My entire career has been devoted to developing therapies for animals, and I am looking forward to continuing that work in this exciting, …
Rutgers Equine Science Center Receives $100,000 DonationJanuary 6, 2011 The Equine Science Center, a unit of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, reported today that it received a $100,000 donation to support new initiatives, programs and better horse care through research and education. The donation was made by Karyn Malinowski, Ph.D., director of the center and professor of animal sciences. “I am extremely pleased to be able to make a gift and commitment to the Equine Science Center in recognition of research-based educational programming in the area of horse health and well-being,” Malinowski said. “The timing of this gift intentionally coincides with the university’s capital campaign and serves as a challenge to all who have benefitted from the center’s resources, including alumni, students and horse owners and equine enthusiasts worldwide. No gift is too small as it will contribute to the future sustainability of the Equine Science Center.” The center, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has the following program focus areas: equine health and well-being, land use policy and management, environmental stewardship, integrity of equestrian sport and economic growth and industry sustainability. <Home>
NCVEI Trims Board After AAHA QuitsJanuary 6, 2011 The National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues will move to a nine-member board of directors from its previous 12, said Karen Felsted, DVM, the group’s CEO. The decision was made after the American Animal Hospital Association discontinued its membership and financial sponsorship of NCVEI in late 2010. NCVEI was formed in 2000 by AAHA, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges “to ensure the economic future of veterinary medicine.” The board had four members from each of the three founding organizations. Instead of filling four seats, the NCVEI decided to downsize the board, Dr. Felsted said. “Trends show that larger boards are being reduced to fewer members,” she said. The plan is to have three members each from the AVMA and AAVMC as well as three outside members representing the veterinary community. “The change will bring in expertise that isn’t already on our board as well as help represent the veterinary industry on a broader level,” she said. Asked whether the NCVEI was surprised by AAHA’s decision to withdraw support, Felsted said yes. “The four AAHA board members had been very supportive of NCVEI’s future …
Medication Shortages Threaten Patient CareJanuary 5, 2011 Veterinarians find themselves in an awkward position when they can’t obtain a drug a patient needs. But that’s the reality today for some practitioners, who have noticed an apparent uptick in the number of drugs reported as unavailable. Pet owners have noticed, too, and have posted complaints at VeterinaryPractice News.com, particularly in regard to Oncept, a canine melanoma vaccine made by Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga. “I had several canine cancer patients scheduled to Oncept receive Oncept and I couldn’t provide their therapy because I didn’t have access to the drug,” says Zachary Wright, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology), of VCA Veterinary Care Animal Hospital and Referral Center in Albuquerque, N.M. “I was told a shipment of the drug was held up by the Food and Drug Administration. I can’t say if this delay affected my patients’ therapy end results. It was very uncomfortable telling clients I couldn’t help their pet right in the middle of treatment.” Learn More For an up-to-date list of recalled drugs and products with delayed manufacturing, check the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. • Here were some drugs on back order at press …
What To Expect In 2011 And BeyondJanuary 5, 2011 Back when automobiles began to replace the horse and buggy, veterinarians wondered how they would stay employed. If they could have peered into the future, to 2011, their worries would have subsided when they saw stem cells re-growing cartilage in osteoarthritic joints, tissue growing around prostheses and an array of other eye-opening breakthroughs. “Advances in veterinary medicine amaze me,” says Mike Cavanaugh, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, the executive director of the American Animal Hospital Association. Dr. Cavanaugh predicts a continuing growth in tele-medicine, saying primary care practitioners have access to specialists more readily now than ever before. “An example where telemedicine is very useful is in the area of digital imaging,” Cavanaugh says. “A board-certified vet can look at images almost instantly. It used to be that veterinary colleges were the only places veterinarians could send images to or refer clients to. Now we’re all working together as a health care team.” Experts consulted by Veterinary Practice News weighed in on other areas in which they see significant advancements coming. Nutrition Nutrition is being looked at more frequently not only to combat disease processes that have begun but to prevent them from happening altogether. …
Early Surgery Is Only Option For Some ConditionsJanuary 5, 2011 In a sudden burst of reckless Khulyesque boldness, yours truly has decided to tackle the touchy topic of pets who suffer from three chronic and frustrating diseases: megacolon, otitis and laryngeal paralysis. These diseases seemingly don’t have much in common except that we frequently see patients who have endured months to years of obstipation, chronic ear pain or suffocation without much help from medical treatment. Let’s review the facts. Idiopathic megacolon in a 10-year-old cat. Megacolon Feline idiopathic megacolon is a progressive condition that invariably leads to irreversible distension of the colon. Two-thirds of the time, we don’t know the cause of megacolon in cats, so it can be called an idiopathic functional obstruction. In some cases, the megacolon is secondary to pelvic fractures or, especially in dogs, to a tumor, i.e. a mechanical obstruction. Feces in a megacolon are rock hard and cannot conceivably go through a poor cat’s anus. Recall that one of the colon’s main functions is to reabsorb water. We can give all the cisapride, lactulose, high fiber supplements and special diets in the world, but that poop is just not coming out. It’s mechanical. Interestingly, the chapter on …
