Focused Ultrasound Foundation launches veterinary programNovember 16, 2017 The Focused Ultrasound Foundation in Charlottesville, Va., has launched a veterinary program to study focused ultrasound therapies for the treatment of animals. The initiative enables veterinary researchers to test state-of-the-art therapies in their patients, while collecting data necessary to accelerate the adoption of the technology for human applications, according to the foundation. "Veterinary medicine can lag behind human medicine, leaving veterinarians frustrated with the lack of options for their patients," said Kelsie Timbie, Ph.D., program director. "Our goal with this program is to create a win-win scenario for all involved. Veterinarians will have new, innovative therapies to offer clients, and insights gained in dogs and cats will help inform clinical trial design in humans." The goal of the research program is to offer a variety of benefits over traditional therapies in animals, including faster recovery times, a reduced risk of infection, and no aggravating stitches to chew. Focused ultrasound is an effective way to treat inaccessible areas, as well as incompletely treated or recurrent tumors, according to the foundation. The first study in this program will take place in early 2018 at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM) at Virginia Tech …
SPONSORED CONTENTSwitch to Triple Protection in One Monthly DoseSee the difference of triple protection with the one monthly chew. + Learn More
Merck increases Veterinary Student Scholarship Program fundingNovember 16, 2017 Merck Animal Health (MAH) has announced an increase of $115,000 in funding for its Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. The program will provide $300,000 in scholarships to outstanding second- and third-year veterinary students in the 2017-18 academic year. This increased funding will support an additional 22 scholarships for students focusing on companion animals in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. The MAH Veterinary Student Scholarship was established in 2013 in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF). Scholarship recipients are selected annually based on academic excellence, financial need, leadership, and area of interest within the profession. MAH provided $185,000 to the scholarship program in the 2016-17 academic year. "These students are our future visionaries and will become the leaders of the veterinary profession," said Norman Stewart, DVM, livestock technical services manager for MAH. "Through this program, we are reinforcing our long-standing commitment to education, personal development, and the science of healthier animals. It also allows us to help support the cost of veterinary education, as well as recognize and celebrate the next generation of leaders." The AVMF, the charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association, has supported …
PetPace smartcollar aids first human-canine 12,500-mile All-In Trek teamNovember 16, 2017Breanna Cornell and her 4-year-old husky-rottweiler mix, Sophie, are scheduled to set out on completing the nation's longest and most rigorous mega-hike expedition on Sept. 4, 2018, with help from PetPace, a provider of health monitoring technology for pets. Cornell and Sophie will attempt to be the first female and human-canine team to complete the All-In Trek. The mega-hike requires a continuous, self-supported hike through the top four hiking trails in the nation. The duo will start their journey on the North County Trail, followed by the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Coast trail, and the Continental Divide, traveling by air to each start point. Besides facing a mix of rough terrain, adverse weather conditions, and the unexpected, and the pair also will battle the physical drain of hiking roughly 35 miles per day. In order to better safeguard Sophie's health, Cornell will receive a special travel pack for Sophie from the company. The travel pack will provide full connectivity between Cornell's PetPace smartphone app and Sophie's PetPace health monitoring smartcollar. This will allow Cornell to closely monitor her pet's caloric expenditure, activity levels, and vital signs. Sophie's smartcollar also can send …
TechLab receives USDA licenses for Giardia Vet CheckNovember 15, 2017 TechLab Inc. in Blacksburg, Va., a developer and manufacturer of rapid noninvasive diagnostic tests for gastrointestinal diseases, announced that it has received a USDA establishment license and product license for Giardia Vet Check. The test, an automatable enzyme immunoassay, qualitatively detects Giardia cyst antigen in canine and feline fecal samples and is the first USDA-licensed Giardia microwell ELISA available in the US veterinary market.
Cornell, Tufts scientists receive $2.5M from NIH for cancer studyNovember 14, 2017Cornell and Tufts University scientists have received a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to use dogs as a model for studying cancer immunotherapies. The dogs used in the study are treated with similar care as human patients, with the potential of being cured of lymphoma. Kristy Richards, Ph.D., MD, associate professor of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine with a joint appointment at the Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine is co-principal investigator on the grant, along with Cheryl London, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, a research professor at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. The grant will investigate whether combinations of PD1 inhibitors and other targeted therapies may increase effectiveness of cancer treatment in dogs, thereby setting up the possibility for human trials. Clinical trials in dogs should begin in the next six months, at which time, the researchers will reach out to referring veterinarians for candidate canine patients with lymphoma. Veterinary oncologists at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine and at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists in Stamford, Conn., will enroll and treat patients during the trials. Patients also will be enrolled at the …
FDA withdraws draft guidance regarding animal drug compoundingNovember 14, 2017 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is withdrawing draft Guidance for Industry No. 230, "Compounding Animal Drugs from Bulk Drug Substances," in order to clarify that the agency intends to issue a new draft for public comment next year. The draft guidance issued in May 2015 proposed conditions under which the FDA generally would not take action against the compounding of animal drugs from bulk drug substances, with the goal of making such animal drugs available for patient care without jeopardizing the safety of animals and humans or compromising the animal drug approval process. Current law does not permit compounding of animal drugs from bulk drug substances, but the FDA recognizes circumstances exist where there is no approved drug that can be used or modified through compounding to treat a particular animal with a particular condition. In those limited situations, an animal drug compounded from bulk drug substances may be an appropriate treatment option. In developing the new draft, the FDA will carefully consider the issues specific to compounding animal drugs, including the significance of using compounded drugs as a treatment option in various veterinary settings and animal species. FDA will publish the new draft …
Purdue CVM expands after-school 'This Is How We Role' nationwideNovember 14, 2017 This Is How We "Role," an after-school role-modeling program aimed at diversifying the veterinarian-scientist workforce, is expanding with the help of four veterinary schools and colleges that received grants to partner with the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. The program, which focuses on elementary school students and is designed to increase awareness of the important role veterinarians play in keeping people and their pets healthy, is supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health. Purdue developed interactive science and math experiences for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, with a focus on those who are educationally disadvantaged due to socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity. Now the program will be expanded beyond Purdue University to additional regions of the country through grants of $5,000 each. The grants were awarded to Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Purdue's CVM and Evaluation and Learning Research Center provide grant recipients with …
Jaguar Health receives AAVSB RACE approval for foal CENovember 13, 2017Jaguar Health Inc., a manufacturer of gastrointestinal products for both human prescription use and animals, announced today that the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) committee has reviewed and approved Jaguar's "Diarrhea in Foals" continuing education (CE) program as meeting the standards adopted by the AAVSB. The company's "Diarrhea in Foals" program has been approved by the AAVSB RACE committee to offer a total of 1.50 CE credits to each participating veterinarian or veterinary technician. The program may be repeated by Jaguar within the two-year program approval period at different locations and/or on different dates, with advance notice to AAVSB. "Participation in CE programs helps veterinarians and veterinary technicians remain apprised of current and cutting-edge veterinary care and helping veterinary professionals expand their clinical knowledge and learn about new technology helps them take better care of their patients," said Siobhan McAuliffe, MVB, DACVIM. Dr. McAuliffe served as the primary investigator for clinical studies conducted in 2015 for Neonorm™ Foal, Jaguar's plant-based antidiarrheal product for newborn horses.
WHO urges end to antibiotics use in healthy food-producing animalsNovember 10, 2017The World Health Organization (WHO) launched new guidelines regarding the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, urging farmers and the food industry to stop using antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease in otherwise healthy animals. The guidelines were announced ahead of World Antibiotic Awareness Week, Nov. 13-19. The WHO recommends an overall reduction in the use of all classes of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals, including complete restriction of these antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention without diagnosis. Healthy animals should receive antibiotics only to prevent disease if it has been diagnosed in other animals in the same flock, herd, or fish population, according to the WHO. The new guidelines aim to help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics important for human medicine. They recommend that antibiotics used in animals should be among those that are the least important to human health, and not from those classified as "critically important." The European Union barred the practice in 2006, and a US ban on use of "medically important" antibiotics kicked in at the beginning of this year, according to the WHO. "A lack of effective antibiotics is as serious a security threat …
Tomlyn Veterinary Science partners with Jackson GalaxyNovember 10, 2017Tomlyn Veterinary Science, maker of veterinary-quality health and wellness supplements for pets, is partnering with cat expert and animal advocate, Jackson Galaxy to promote the company's Pill Masker paste for cats and dogs. Jackson will participate in Facebook Live events, where he'll answer questions about cats while providing tips to create a harmonious home for cats and their owners. The company also will be hosting a sweepstakes for one grand-prize winner to receive a 30-minute Skype session with Jackson Galaxy to help solve their cat-related problems, along with a selection of Tomlyn cat health products. The overall pet supplement market is approximately $580 million annually, growing 3.5 percent over 2016, as consumers turn to supplements for their pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 79 million cats and dogs in the US alone. Close to 9 million of these pets (11 percent), according to their owners, struggle with taking medications, as reported in a survey conducted by Tomlyn and a Harris Poll.
