FDA Seeks Comments On Veterinary Feed Directive DrugsMarch 29, 2010 The Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comments on potential changes to its regulation of veterinary feed directive (VFD) drugs. The regulation, which went into effect in 2001, sets requirements for the distribution and use of VFD drugs and animal feeds containing such drugs. The FDA reaffirmed that certain new animal drugs should get approved for use in animal feed only if these medicated feeds are administered under a veterinarian’s supervision. While a few VFD animal drug products are approved, informal comments sent to the FDA characterized the VFD process as burdensome. In addition, concern was raised that the current process will face problems as the number of approved VFD animal drugs grows. When veterinary oversight of a medicated feed is deemed necessary, it is important that such supervision be facilitated through an efficient VFD process, the FDA said. The agency is conducting the review to determine whether changes are warranted to improve the program’s efficiency. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-6872.pdf. <HOME>
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Suicide Rate High Among VeterinariansMarch 26, 2010 Veterinarians are four times as likely as the general public, and twice as likely as other health care professionals, to die by suicide, according to a 10-page report in Britain's Veterinary Record. Possible reasons for the high rate include the characteristics of individuals entering the field, negative effects during undergraduate training, work-related stress, stigma associated with mental illness, professional and social isolation, and alcohol or drug misuse, according to the authors, David Bartram and D.S. Baldwin. Drug misuse was mostly tried to prescription drugs to which the profession has ready access, the authors said. Bill Reilly, president of the British Veterinary Association, which publishes the Veterinary Record, said professional groups like his can help as more is learned about the higher suicide rate among veterinarians. “As part of the Vetlife Steering Group, the BVA supports fantastic initiatives such as the 24-hour Vet Helpline for vets, vet nurses and veterinary students, and the Veterinary Benevolent Fund,” he said. The BVA’s Member Services Group looks at practical initiatives to improve the day-to day lives of veterinarians. The recent introduction of services to resolve issues between veterinary employees and employers is an example of how the BVA supports …
Vet Tech Specialty Wins OKMarch 24, 2010 The Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties has granted the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Clinical Practice provisional recognition as a veterinary technician specialty. The academy is the ninth officially recognized veterinary technician specialty and is modeled after the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Following the ABVP model, the academy has developed three initial species-specific categories: canine/feline, avian/exotic and production animal. The academy's credentialed veterinary technicians provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care. Candidates are expected to demonstrate expertise in a range of clinical disciplines within their species specialty. Candidates eligible for admission to the academy's examinations are evaluated in areas such as anesthesia/analgesia, behavior, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, general medicine, general nursing, laboratory testing, pharmacology, practice management and surgical nursing. To learn more about VTS certification in clinical practice, contact academy chairwoman Liza Rudolph, LVT, CVT, at lwrlvt@aol.com. The Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties is a subcommittee of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America.
Scientist To Lead Product Development At PutneyMarch 23, 2010Scientist to Lead Product Development at PutneyScientist to Lead Product Development at PutneynewslinePosted: Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 4:54 p.m., EST Anthony Lucas, BVMS (Hons), Ph.D. Pet pharmaceutical company Putney Inc., of Portland, Maine, has named Anthony Lucas, BVMS (Hons), Ph.D., as director of product development. As the head of development efforts, Dr. Lucas will oversee the technical evaluation of product opportunities, formulation development with outside partners, Putney's clinical program, and work closely with Regulatory Affairs to ensure the quality of scientific submissions needed for approval from the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine. His previous experience includes a position as the Group Leader Companion Animal Acquisitions for Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly, where he developed the strategy to deliver growth through targeted product acquisitions. Dr. Lucas has also held positions as senior research scientist, practicing veterinarian, and is an officer of the American Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The addition of Dr. Lucas marks a milestone in Putney's plans for growth, said Jean Hoffman, president and CEO. "With Dr. Lucas leading development efforts, Putney has increased our scientific capabilities to overcome the challenges of developing drugs for dogs and …
Mars Veterinary Conducts 2010 National Mutt CensusMarch 22, 2010 McLean, Va.-based Mars Veterinary, a global company specializing in pet care and canine genetic breed identification, is conducting an inaugural National Mutt Census. The goal is to provide insights into the background of the nation’s estimated 38 million mixed-breed dogs. The company hopes that a portrait of the makeup of the nation’s mixed-breed dogs will lead to a better understanding of the prevalence of genetic traits and conditions among this population, said Dr. Angela Hughes, veterinary genetics research manager at Mars Veterinary. “Understanding an individual dog’s breed makeup is like understanding its family history – this information can provide an owner with valuable insights that strengthen the pet-owner relationship,” she said. Mars Veterinary urges dog owners to participate by logging on to www.muttcensus.com where they can take a five-minute survey, which asks them questions about the dog’s size and weight, its feeding and exercise habits, whether it was adopted from a shelter – as well as questions about the dog’s health. The findings will offer the most comprehensive analysis of the nation’s mixed-breed dog population ever conducted, the company said. The results may also provide researchers a better understanding of the types …
ProHeart 6 Meeting Material AvailableMarch 19, 2010 The Food and Drug Administration has posted background information in advance of a meeting on the Risk Minimization Act Plan (RiskMAP) for Pfizer’s ProHeart 6. The Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee will meet March 24 to recommend modifications, if any, to the risk minimization and restricted distribution program for the injectable heartworm treatment. The panel will present FDA analysis of 18 months of data collected under the RiskMAP and will seek feedback from a panel of experts. A voluntary recall was issued for ProHeart 6 in September 2004 to address federal safety concerns. The background material is available here. The committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, at the Rockville Hilton in Rockville, Md. Oral presentations from the public are set for 1 to 2 p.m.
EPA Requires Clearer Instructions On Flea And Tick ProductsMarch 17, 2010 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 17 outlined a plan of action to increase restrictions on spot-on flea and tick products for cats and dogs, starting with a call for specific language on appropriate dosage according to a pet’s weight as well as clear warnings on labels. New restrictions will start to appear on these products in the next several months, and pet owners must carefully read and follow labels before exposing pets to these pesticides, said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. A significant increase in reported adverse incidents prompted the EPA to conduct a year-long evaluation, resulting in a set of voluntary requirements for existing and new products to address inadequate labels. “These are poisons designed to kill fleas and ticks, and they do their job,” Owens said during a press teleconference to announce the steps that EPA will pursue. First, manufacturers of spot-on pesticide products are urged to improve labeling, making instructions clearer to prevent product misuse. In addition, more precise label instructions are required to ensure proper dosage per pet weight. Dog and cat products should also be differentiated with clear markings, and …
AVMA Tackles Veterinary Shortage With Incentive ProgramMarch 12, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), as part of its ongoing effort to boost the number of U.S. food animal veterinarians, has created a new program to tackle a veterinary shortage - an educational debt relief program. Citing a decline in the number of food animal veterinarians, the AVMA has designed a program to attract those veterinarians whose job it is to keep food animals healthy. The Food Animal Veterinarian Recruitment and Retention Program is a joint effort of the AVMA and its charitable arm, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, and funded by several industry partners. The effort provides financial incentives in the form of student loan debt forgiveness for veterinarians who commit to four years of employment in food animal veterinary medicine. Depending on demand and the availability of funds, the program seeks to support about 50 rural food animal veterinarians during the next five years by providing total payments for each practitioner of up to $100,000 for student loan debt, the AVMA said. The pilot program comes at a time when the federal government is also recognizing the critical role food animal veterinarians play in protecting food animals, the food supply and economic and …
Laser Therapy May Work On TL IVDDMarch 11, 2010 Laser therapy, the latest modality to enter the marketplace, is taking the veterinary profession by storm. But veterinary practitioners need to find out how laser helps and which units work before plunging tens of thousands of dollars into underpowered or dubious devices that pale in comparison to similarly priced laser powerhouses. Facts come from research, and laser therapy currently lacks evidential support in veterinary clinical settings. This calls into question specifics about optimal laser dose and ideal wavelengths. Until studies take place on species treated within our facilities, veterinarians are once again left relying on tissue culture, rodent and human studies. One application where laser therapy may shine is in patients recovering from thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease. TL IVDD is the most common spinal cord dysfunction in dogs.1 Dachshunds outnumber other breeds for the disease by a significant margin; one study showed that dachshunds account for nearly 72 percent of cases.2,3 Compressive spinal cord injury (SCI) causes both primary and secondary tissue damage. The secondary injury phase occurs one to two days after injury and leads to biochemically mediated neuronal death and spinal cord inflammation.4 Medical intervention yields the best clinical …
Sanofi-Aventis Pulls Trigger On Merial DealMarch 10, 2010 Sanofi-Aventis of Paris, France, exercised its option to combine its Merial animal health business with Intervet/Schering-Plough, Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck’s animal health business, forming a new, much larger joint venture with once and future partner Merck. Executives for the companies contend that the combined entity would be better able to bring new drugs to market, both for production and perhaps especially companion animals. “In addition to protecting their pets from parasites, more and more pet owners find themselves confronting other chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, arthritis and CNS disorders that affect their pets,” said Richard Clark, Merck’s chairman, president and CEO. “With our combined resources, we can bring new treatments to improve and lengthen pet lives.” The companies also expect to benefit from growth in emerging economies, which they expect to show both in expanding middle classes and pet ownership and increased animal-protein consumption. Overall, the global animal health industry is projected to grow about 5 percent annually for the next five years, from $19.2 billion in 2008 to a forecast $24.1 billion in 2014. Merial had been a joint venture between Sanofi and Merck until Sanofi acquired Merck’s share last July to facilitate Merck’s …
