N.J. Firms Team Up To Develop Fast-Dissolve Drugs For AnimalsFebruary 16, 2012 Two New Jersey drug firms are combining their technologies to develop a portfolio of fast-dissolve drugs for the animal health market. Animal health company NewMarket Pharmaceuticals LLC of Princeton, N.J., and drug delivery technology company Catalent Pharma Solutions of Somerset, N.J., are developing five drugs that will combine Catalent’s Zydis fast-dissolve technology and NewMarket’s Direct Systemic Introduction technology. The initial drugs under development include NSAIDs, beta agonists, proton pump inhibitors and behavior modifiers for several species, including horses, dogs and cattle. The companies plan to expand into other classes, as well. Rapidly dissolving tablets provide treatment without the use of needles, according to NewMarket. The drugs are absorbed directly into an animal’s system, bypassing gastric absorption and metabolism and providing a greater amount of drug to the animal at a faster rate than conventional formulations, said David Rock, vice-president for research and development at NewMarket. <HOME>
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Heska To Roll Out Sublingual Allergy Therapy For PetsFebruary 15, 2012 Heska Corp. plans to manufacture and market a proprietary, sublingual therapy treatment for pets suffering with allergies, the company announced today. The Loveland, Colo.-based company will introduce the new product at the onset of the allergy season. Dr. Mary Morris and Associates LLC of La Crosse, Wis., developed the therapy treatment to expand treatment options for allergic diseases in people and animals, and partnered with Heska Corp. to manufacture and market the technology to the pet market. “Sublingual therapy offers a convenient alternative to subcutaneous injection, thereby enhancing the likelihood of pet owner compliance,” said Michael McGinley, president and chief operating officer of Heska. The product has undergone substantial testing over the past three years, according to Heska. Heska will manufacture the new allergy treatment product at its Des Moines, Iowa, facility, where the company moved its allergy immunotherapy manufacturing in 2011. <HOME>
Lap Of Love Adds Remote Consultation Service, Plans ExpansionFebruary 14, 2012 In-home veterinary hospice and euthanasia provider Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice began offering cancer consultations for clients via phone and Skype and is planning to expand its in-home service to Massachusetts and Texas, the company reported today. Veterinary oncologist Karri Miller, DVM, M.S., Dipl. ACVIM, joined Lap of Love to provide the remote consultations. Dr. Miller will help clients understand what their pet is going through and what their options for treatment are. Following consultations, a client is emailed a review of their discussion with Dr. Miller, an overview of their pet’s disease and possible treatment options. The same report is also sent to the client’s family veterinarian. The Tampa-based company started its in-home veterinary hospice service in Florida and expanded into North Carolina and Tennessee last year. The company plans to expand into Massachusetts and Texas “in the coming months.” <HOME>
Novartis Unveils Broad-Spectrum BRD VaccineFebruary 9, 2012 Novartis Animal Health launched a broad-spectrum, modified-live vaccine called BRD Shield to protect nonpregnant beef and dairy cattle against bovine respiratory disease complex. The new product is the first modified-live vaccine to offer protection against the noncytopathic strain of bovine virus diarrhea Type 1 and Type 2, which accounts for 90 to 95 percent of clinical disease outbreaks and is responsible for all persistently infected calves, according to Novartis. The vaccine also protects against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza 3 and bovine respiratory syncytial virus. The BRD Shield label indicates beef cattle should receive their initial dose of the vaccine at weaning, followed by a booster four weeks later. Vaccination of dairy cattle is recommended between two and six weeks of age, followed by a booster at six to 10 weeks of age. In herds at risk of BRSV, animals should be revaccinated three to four weeks after the first dose. Calves vaccinated prior to six months of age should be revaccinated after six months of age. <HOME>
Nebraska Administrator RecognizedFebruary 9, 2012 Debbie Newhouse, CVPM, received the 2011 Transforming the Practice award from the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. The award is presented annually to a VHMA member based on the veterinary practice’s success in meeting one or more of four criteria: increase in productivity, increase in revenue, decrease in expenses and increase in practice value estimates. Candidates must participate in the VHMA Practice Diagnostics Survey for two consecutive years to be eligible for the award. Newhouse, an administrator with Ralston Veterinary Clinic in Ralston, Neb., was recognized for assisting with the clinic’s transition to an employee-owned practice. <HOME>
Pathology Added As Technician Specialty By NAVTAFebruary 9, 2012 The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America recognized the Academy of Veterinary Clinical Pathology Technicians as the 11th veterinary technician specialty, NAVTA reported today. The mission of the AVCPT is to advance the area of and promote excellence in the discipline of veterinary clinical pathology. Veterinary technician specialists must demonstrate “superior knowledge and performance of clinical pathology techniques,” according to the NAVTA. The 10 other specialties recognized by the NAVTA include the academies of: • Veterinary Dental Technicians; • Veterinary Technician Anesthetists; • Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians; • Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians; • Veterinary Behavior Technicians; • Veterinary Zoological Medicine Technicians; • Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians. • Veterinary Surgical Technicians; • Veterinary Technicians in Clinical Practice. • Veterinary Nutrition Technicians. Members of the organizing committee of the AVCPT include Sue Kolkka, A.A.S, L.V.T.; Barb Lewis, M.A., C.V.T.; Barbie Papajeski, M.S., L.V.T., Sharon Richardson, B.S., L.V.T.; Oreta Samples, D.H.Sc., M.P.H., C.V.T.; Pam Schendel, B.S., R.V.T.; Dan Walsh, M.P.S., R.V.T. (Kara Burns, MS, M.Ed., LVT, was removed from the list of AVCPT organizing committee members after being included because of a reporting error.) <HOME>
MacDonald To Head Managers GroupFebruary 9, 2012 Tom MacDonald, CVPM, was voted president of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. MacDonald commenced his two-year term as president at the VHMA annual membership meeting in October. He is a co-founder of the Lincoln Village Animal Hospital of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and has been a VHMA member since 2001. As president, MacDonald’s goals are to increase communication within the membership and engage more veterinarians. The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association will focus on the combination of the Veterinary Information Network and Facebook to enhance members’ ability to communicate with each other to share ideas and experiences, MacDonald said.
Novartis Resumes Shipping Animal Drugs Made In NebraskaFebruary 8, 2012 Novartis Animal Health resumed U.S. shipments of veterinary drugs manufactured at its Lincoln, Neb., plant, the company reported today. When production at the plant will resume remains uncertain. The amount available for shipment varies by brand, from several weeks of supply to several months. The inventory is being closely managed, said Joseph Burkett, global head of communications for Novartis Animal Health. Novartis stopped production at the Lincoln plant Jan. 5 after recalling several human over-the-counter drugs manufactured at the plant. The recall was issued because of reports of broken and wrong pills showing up in drug bottles. Novartis did not recall any animal drugs manufactured in Lincoln but halted production plant-wide, affecting the supply of U.S. brands such as Interceptor Flavor Tabs, Sentinel Flavor Tabs, Clomicalm, Program Tablets and Suspension, and Milbemite. Affected Canadian brands included Interceptor, Sentinel and Program Tablets. The company also issued a “Dear Doctor” letter warning of a possibility that foreign or broken tablets could appear in bottles of Clomicalm because it is packaged on the same line as the affected human products. Returning to normal production of veterinary products at the Lincoln plant is a top …
Gear Trends: Smaller, Wireless, PortableFebruary 8, 2012 From the farm to cloud computing, the sky seems to be the limit for the latest in portable digital equipment for the equine practitioner. Wireless capability, remote access to medical records and high-quality in imaging are just some of favored examples of the latest digital technology. David Frisbie, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVS, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, considers a micro-arthroscope inserted in an 18ga needle a technological breakthrough. The needlescope enables the practitioner to perform procedures under partial sedation and with local blocks, rather than the traditional method that requires full anesthesia. Local anesthesia may be used and the horse remains standing, which Dr. Frisbie said lessens complications all around. For the past year, Frisbie has evaluated a number of horses’ stifle injuries with this new equipment, first developed for human medicine. “When you are trying to diagnose stifle problems,” he said, “X-rays and ultrasound can’t give you an accurate view and the joint is too big for an MRI. And there is not really a general arthroscope that practitioners can carry around. Needlescope vs. Arthroscope “We know that we can medicate the stifle with …
W. Virginia Eyes Pet Food Registration Fee IncreaseFebruary 8, 2012 The West Virginia Senate Agriculture Committee will hear a bill next week that would raise the permit fee on certain pet food and feed packages to provide funding for a spay and neuter fund. The West Virginia Senate Agriculture Committee will hear a bill next week that would raise the permit fee on certain pet food and feed packages to provide funding for a spay and neuter fund. Senate Bill 479 establishes a Spay Neuter Assistance Fund to subsidize spay and neuter programs throughout West Virginia, with the aim to decrease the number of animals euthanized in West Virginia shelters, according to the bill text. The bill would also raise the registration fee for pet food from $50 to $75 per product and deposit $25 from the fee into the fund. It would also raise the commercial feed fee from $40 to $50 and deposit $10 in the fund. The bill will be heard by the committee on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2012. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council opposes the bill, saying the cost of spay and neuter services should not be …
