NexGard Success Triggers Factory ExpansionSeptember 23, 2014 Merial Ltd. broke ground Monday on the $25 million expansion of a manufacturing plant in Paulinia, Brazil, to support additional production of the new flea and tick medication NexGard. Launched early this year, NexGard (afoxolaner) Chewables rang up $40 million in U.S. sales in the second quarter. That figure represented 9 percent of Merial’s international companion animal business. Merial CEO Carsten Hellmann called the expansion of the Paulinia facility—one of 18 plants worldwide—“an important part of our global business and manufacturing strategy.” “With [NexGard] registrations filed globally, we are significantly expanding our current manufacturing capacity to prepare for demand and growth,” Hellmann said. NexGard is a vegetable-based, meatless chew approved for use in dogs at least 8 weeks old and weighing four pounds or more. The monthly prescription medication is indicated to kill fleas and a variety of ticks. The medication also is sold in Europe and Japan. The expansion is expected to ultimately supply more than 100 countries. The construction should be finished in early 2015, Merial reported. The work includes 21,000 square feet of additional production rooms and new equipment. The Paulinia plant should create 85 jobs, …
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Colorado State Vets Help Ailing Military DogSeptember 22, 2014 A 9-year-old mixed-breed dog that sniffed out bombs during military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan is recovering after heart surgery performed Sept. 16 at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Kay, a now-retired war dog, was discovered to have an inoperable heart tumor after he settled down with his U.S. Army handler, Brandon Donahue, in Brighton, Colo. “We could definitely tell he was lethargic and tired, and he wasn’t feeling right,” Donahue said. The former soldier and his wife, Brandi, stopped at Colorado State after sitting through other veterinary consultations that included suggestions of euthanasia. Brandon Donahue knew he had to do more for Kay, who was credited with saving countless American lives overseas. “He put his life in danger, sometimes more than I did,” he said of their military service. “It means the world that we were able to return the favor and help him out.” Publicity about Kay’s condition led to $9,825 in contributions for the dog’s surgery and recovery. Though his cancer is inoperable, a surgical team led by Catriona MacPhail, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVS, created a 1- by 1-inch hole in the bottom of the heart …
Jaguar Animal Health Has Taste for New DrugsSeptember 18, 2014 A treatment for obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in dogs is the latest proposed product from a fledgling San Francisco drug developer. Jaguar Animal Health Inc., which focuses on gastrointestinal concerns in pets and production animals, reported Wednesday that the company has submitted its eighth Investigational New Animal Drug (INAD) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. The newest candidate would address obesity-related metabolic dysfunction, which in dogs can mean altered lipid profiles, insulin resistance and mild hypertension. “Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome occurs not just in humans, but also in dogs,” said Serge Martinod, DVM, Ph.D., the company’s chief veterinary officer. “However, while physicians worldwide have a vast array of drugs that have been approved to treat this condition in humans, veterinarians have no approved products available to treat these issues in dogs.” Jaguar stated that the active ingredient in the metabolic drug “is isolated and purified from a plant indigenous to the southwestern United States.” “In traditional medicine, the plant was brewed as a tea and used for the treatment of diabetes and other various illnesses,” the company added. Three other candidates in the Jaguar pipeline …
Space Available in Golden Retriever StudySeptember 17, 2014 Two years down, 10 to go. Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study this month entered the third year of a project designed to document the long-term health of one of the United States’ most popular dog breeds. More than 1,900 golden retrievers are enrolled in the study, which uses owner questionnaires, veterinary exams, blood tests and genetic sequencing to provide researchers with an in-depth look at the breed and help them better understand cancer and other canine diseases. Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Denver, hopes to ultimately enroll 3,000 dogs. Owners of golden retrievers younger than 2 years old and living in the contiguous United States may apply at caninelifetimehealth.org. David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., the foundation’s president and CEO, volunteered his golden retriever, Bridger. The 1,900 families who enrolled their dogs “hate disease in their beloved companions so much that they are willing to participate fully in this study,” Dr. Haworth said. “It is not easy, but it is so important,” he said. Information gleaned from the study will grow over the years as the dogs age, become sick and die. “When …
Sleepypod Dog Harness Earns Top Rating From Safety GroupAugust 21, 2014 The Sleepypod Clickit Sport dog travel harness was awarded the Center for Pet Safety’s highest possible crash-test score, the manufacturer reported Thursday. The five-star rating covers small, medium and large Clickit Sport harnesses. The maximum score was the first under the Center for Pet Safety’s new Harness Certification Program. “Few manufacturers demonstrate the commitment to product safety testing that we have seen from Sleepypod,” said Lindsey A. Wolko, founder of the nonprofit Center for Pet Safety. “Theirs is a landmark achievement for pets and the people who love them.” The new Clickit Sport travel harness will be available for sale beginning in mid-October at suggested retail prices of $64.99 to $74.99, a Sleepypod spokeswoman said. The company’s co-founder and lead product designer, Michael Leung, called the five-star rating “a meaningful validation of Sleepypod’s steadfast commitment to pet travel safety innovation.” The Harness Certification Program is the first formal crash-test rating system for pet travel harnesses, the Center for Pet Safety stated. Harnesses volunteered for testing may be awarded five stars, four stars or a rating of “not recommended.” The Reston, Va., research center in October 2013 judged another Sleepypod travel harness, the …
Kindred Unsuccessful With First Canine DrugAugust 21, 2014 Kindred Biosciences Inc. has been dealt a setback with the discovery that the startup drug company’s vanguard product, CereKin, failed a pivotal field study. The Burlingame, Calif., company had hoped to achieve U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of CereKin (diacerein) for the control of osteoarthritic pain and inflammation in dogs sometime in 2015. Kindred reported Wednesday that CereKin “did not meet its primary endpoint.” The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the safety and efficacy of two doses of CereKin (5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg). “The data are in the process of being fully analyzed but, based on the analyses so far, the results appear to be due primarily to a higher-than-expected placebo response rate and statistical variability,” Kindred stated. “Also, in the high-dose group, the response rate among completers was in line with results seen in human studies, but the dropout rate was higher than expected and statistical significance was not achieved for the primary endpoint.” Kindred spent about $4 million on the development of CereKin—a sum in line with what the drug maker anticipates spending on each project. Still in the pivotal study stage are AtoKin (fexofenadine), which is designed …
Purina to Offer Brain Supplement in Some FoodsAugust 20, 2014 A nutritional supplement formulated to support the brain functions of middle-aged cats and dogs will be added to selected Nestlé Purina products within 12 to 18 months, the pet food manufacturer reported Monday. The supplement, called Brain Protection Blend, targets risk factors linked to brain aging. Containing fish oil, antioxidants and an amino acid known as arginine, it is designed to be fed when a pet is middle-aged. A Nestlé Purina study of how Brain Protection Blend benefits dogs will be published in coming weeks, the company stated. Nearly 30 percent of cats aged 11 to 14 show signs of cognitive decline, including memory loss and reduced social interaction, Nestlé Purina noted. Among dogs, 28 percent of 11- and 12-year-olds and 68 percent of 15- and 16-year-olds show at least one sign of cognitive issues. “By taking a more proactive approach, we may be able to slow the brain’s decline often experienced among pets as they get older,” said Dan Smith, Nestlé Purina’s vice president of research and development. Nestlé Purina, whose U.S. pet division is based in St. Louis, won’t be the first company to offer a proprietary pet food enhancer. For …
Vets Say Why they Use Laser TherapyAugust 20, 2014 Veterinarians are adopting and implementing therapeutic lasers at practices across the country. The therapy's effectiveness is still debated in some quarters — though less so than in the past — so why have they taken the plunge? The consensus among practitioners interviewed for this story is that the results speak for themselves—the lasers are effective at treating injuries and speeding healing with little to no side effects. And with a relatively gentle learning curve and quick return on investment, they say lasers are a no-brainer for their practices. Tales from Veterinarians On the Fence Linda Baty, DVM, of East Brook Animal Clinic in Waverly, Tenn., began offering laser therapy as a low-cost alternative to surgery for such injuries as ligament tears and back problems. “We were faced with keeping dogs on painkillers for the rest of their lives or even putting them down,” she said. “So we were looking for therapy that would relieve the pain and put them back to some function without going through major surgery [such as ACL repairs] if [the client] couldn’t afford that.” Though she had done a fair amount of research, Dr. Baty was still hesitant. “It wasn’t until …
U.S. Cracks Down on Sale of Foreign PuppiesAugust 19, 2014 The federal government has imposed new restrictions on the importation of puppies under 6 months old, drawing praise from the American Kennel Club and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The rule, part of an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, prohibits young puppies from entering the continental United States for resale, research or veterinary purposes. Puppies under 6 months old will be permitted if they are a personal pet, breeding stock, or a show, competition or training dog. The regulations were published Monday in the Federal Register and go into effect Nov. 17, 2014. “We welcome this new rule as it will reduce the suffering of thousands of animals by curbing the importation of sick puppies from overseas,” said Cori Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA Puppy Mills Campaign. “Breeding facilities in foreign countries are not subject to oversight by the United States government, so the conditions under which many of these dogs are bred and raised are substandard. The new rule means that the U.S. no longer provides a friendly marketplace for these suffering animals.” The AKC, which registers purebred dogs and sanctions events, stated that it was “pleased.” …
Purdue to Develop Standards for Dog BreedersAugust 15, 2014 Commercial dog breeders nationwide may adhere to the same animal care standards in a few years if a Purdue University project is successful. Candace Croney, MS, Ph.D., an associate professor of comparative pathobiology and animal science, is embarking on a two-year research assignment designed to develop and test science-based best practices covering everything from the housing of breeding dogs to their health. “Although many states have standards in place, they are highly variable from state to state,” Croney said. “In addition, several factors that significantly impact dog welfare, such as their housing, have not been well studied, raising questions about the basis and adequacy of current standards. “This project will help fill the gaps in regard to better meeting dogs’ needs,” she said. The work is underwritten by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, the Pet Food Institute and the World Pet Association. Other Purdue researchers and institutions such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Animal Welfare will participate. Dog breeders have come under fire for the conditions that some animals and their offspring are exposed to. Some jurisdictions ban the retail sale of commercially bred dogs. “Given that over …
