FDA Approves Equine Lameness DrugDecember 22, 2014Ceva Animal Health has brought to the United States a drug that earned wide support around the world for the treatment of navicular syndrome in horses. Tildren (tiludronate disodium) went on sale on U.S. soil this month after winning approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More than 250,000 doses of the intravenous solution have been administered worldwide over the past 12 years, Ceva announced today. Ceva earlier this year launched a U.S. equine division, promising drugs such as Tildren, the estrus suppressant Altresyn (altrenogest) and the stress reducer ConfidenceEQ. Some U.S. equine veterinarians knew about Tildren but couldn’t obtain it without a special import agreement, Ceva noted. “The approval of Tildren by the FDA provides veterinarians and horse owners an excellent new tool for managing navicular syndrome,” said Steve Hoffman, vice president of Ceva’s equine business unit. Navicular syndrome is the most common cause of chronic forelimb lameness in horses, the company noted. Tildren is formulated to regulate osteoclasts in areas of excessive activity. “In navicular syndrome, excessive mechanical stress results in bone resorption outpacing bone formation,” Ceva added. “Tildren works at areas of active bone resorption, restoring balance to the process of bone remodeling.” Kyle Creech, DVM, Ceva’s equine …
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AVMA Slams Investigation of Veterinary IndustryDecember 22, 2014The American Veterinary Medical Association today expressed its “disappointment and concern” with a newspaper investigation that questioned the fast-track development of animal drugs and examined how the pharmaceutical industry’s relationship with AVMA and veterinarians creates potential conflicts of interest. The three-part Indianapolis Star series, titled “Pets at Risk,” also noted that despite growing appreciation of the human-animal bond, U.S. pet owners may recover only minimal damages, if any, when drugs or veterinary care fall short of expectations. AVMA President Ted Cohn, DVM, sent a letter to the editor that he said spelled out “our disappointment and concern about a series of articles that we believe impugn veterinarians and call into question their integrity and professionalism.” “The articles are heavy on conjecture and innuendo and short on facts,” Dr. Cohn wrote. The lead article explained how animal drugs are tested on only a fraction of individuals compared with research into human medications, saving the veterinary companies time and money but raising the possibility of unforeseen side effects. Trifexis, a flea and heartworm preventive drug manufactured by Elanco Animal Health of Greenfield, Ind., was spotlighted because of pet owner claims that the medication has killed hundreds of dogs—charges that Elanco disputes. Defending …
BluePearl Jumps in With Penguin Cataract SurgeryDecember 19, 2014Needles and Bugs won’t have any trouble diving or waddling when the Detroit Zoo opens the Polk Penguin Conservation Center in late 2015. The two aquatic birds had cataract surgery performed on both eyes Wednesday at the BluePearl Veterinary Partners hospital in Southfield, Mich. Needles, a 26-year-old female macaroni penguin, and Bugs, a 30-year-old female rockhopper penguin, were diagnosed with cataracts during a previous examination performed by BluePearl doctors, the Tampa, Fla., hospital chain reported. Gwen Sila, DVM, Dipl. ACVO, performed both surgeries. “Bugs and Needles will now have a better quality of life as they’ll be able to see much more clearly,” Dr. Sila said. “That will be important to help them acclimate to their new surroundings when they are moved to their new exhibit in the future.” Sila and BluePearl donated the time and services. A zoo grant paid for supplies, according to BluePearl. Ground was broken in June on the Polk Penguin Conservation Center. Once completed, the $29.5 million, 33,000-square-foot exhibit will feature a 25-foot-deep pool where zoo visitors standing above or below can watch penguins dive deep. The penguin pen is expected to house about 80 individuals representing four species: rockhopper, macaroni, king …
All-Inclusive Pet Hotel, Vet Practice ExpandsDecember 19, 2014Southern California veterinarian John Boyd, DVM, has opened his second all-in-one pet resort, offering boarding, day care, dog training and grooming services in addition to veterinary care. The first Dr. Boyd’s Pet Resort & Veterinary Center launched in 2011 a mile away from the San Diego airport, a convenient location for pet owners to drop off their cat or dog before they flew out on vacation or business. The second location opened Monday in Irvine, Calif., just eight miles from the Orange County airport. The new facility is twice the size of the original—25,000 square feet versus 12,000. The Irvine business brings “our first-of-its-kind concept to a community that loves pets,” Dr. Boyd said. The website WalletHub.com ranks Irvine as the fourth-best city in the United States for pet lovers. Heading up the operation as CEO is Boyd, a 1986 graduate of the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Assisting him in Irvine are chief medical officer Christina Branshaw, DVM, and veterinarians Amy Krier, DVM, and Mike Mansfield, DVM. Staffed 24 hours a day, both locations charge daily boarding fees of $49 for dogs and $29 for cats. Day care is $29 and $20, respectively. …
Aratana Moves Ahead on 2 Canine DrugsDecember 19, 2014A drug being studied for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain in dogs showed positive results in a pivotal field study, according to the developer, Aratana Therapeutics Inc. The Kansas City, Kan., veterinary drug maker also announced the launch of a pivotal field effectiveness study for a drug formulated to treat post-surgical pain in dogs. The osteoarthritis drug, code-named AT-001, was used in a blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter dose-ranging study involving 280 client-owned dogs. The dogs, all of whom had osteoarthritis, were split into AT-001 and placebo groups and received daily oral doses for 28 days, Aratana reported Thursday. Validated owner-assessed pain scores showed that AT-001, which uses the compound grapiprant to target the EP4 receptor, demonstrated statistically significant improvements compared with the placebo, Aratana noted. The company expects to win U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of AT-001 in 2016. “We believe AT-001 has the potential to be an important product in the well-established pain market,” said President and CEO Steven St. Peter, MD. Aratana also reported the initiation of a pivotal field effectiveness study of a drug licensed from Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Parsippany, N.J. AT-003 is an injectable, extended-release bupivacaine formulated for post-operative pain in dogs. A …
Zoetis Unveils FeLV, FIV Combo TestDecember 18, 2014Veterinary drug maker Zoetis Inc. this week began taking orders for a new test designed to diagnose both feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Shipments are scheduled to begin Jan. 5. The Witness test kit uses Rapid Immuno Migration (RIM) technology to detect the presence of FeLV antigen and FIV antibodies within 10 minutes, according to the Florham, Park, N.J., company. No refrigeration or snapping—a common physical step in point-of-care diagnostic tests—is necessary. “Since the Witness FeLV-FIV test kit does not require refrigeration, it is easy to store, does not take up refrigerator space, and veterinarians don’t need to wait for it to come to room temperature to use,” said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, the group director of Companion Animal Veterinary Operations for Zoetis. The combination test rates at 92.9 percent sensitivity and 96.5 percent specificity for FeLV and 93.8 percent sensitivity and 93.4 percent specificity for FIV, the company added. Feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus are potentially fatal. FeLV rates in the United States range from 2 to 4 percent of all cats and up to 13 percent or more of cats that are ill, very young or at high risk …
Zebu’s Illness Was Tough Nut to CrackDecember 18, 2014Sluggishness, inappetence and constipation were the clinical signs. Acorns were the cause. A miniature zebu, the world’s smallest cattle breed, is recovering at home after University of Florida veterinarians treated the animal for kidney failure, which they believe was brought on by his taste for acorns. The zebu, named Brutus, underwent hemodialysis in what the university stated may have been the first time for a bovine patient with acute disease. The life-threatening episode began Nov. 18, when 1-year-old Brutus was brought to the Gainesville, Fla., hospital. “He’d had a two-day history of lethargy, not eating and constipation,” said Rob MacKay, BVSc, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM, a professor of large animal medicine. “When he arrived at UF, his vital signs were stable, but he was not having the stomach contractions that move food from the stomach into the intestines, and he wasn’t producing urine. He also was lethargic and trembling.” Blood work and ultrasound revealed acute kidney injury, Dr. MacKay said. The “aha!” moment came during a discussion with owners Mark and Rachel Duncan of Ocoee, Fla. “It was revealed that there were oak trees in Brutus’ pasture and that they had seen him eating acorns,” MacKay said. “Unfortunately, unbeknownst to his …
Midwestern Teaching Hospital Off to Early StartDecember 18, 2014Midwestern University’s inaugural class of veterinary students won’t start their training rotations for two years, but the on-campus Companion Animal Clinic is open for business. The 111,800-square-foot teaching hospital, one of the largest in the United States, began scheduling appointments Dec. 1 and opened its doors Tuesday. The clinic, now staffed by faculty members, offers primary and specialty care for small animals, including services in internal medicine, dentistry, surgery and diagnostic imaging. Available to patients are 14 examination rooms, four surgical suites, two specialty suites and a physical rehabilitation area with an underwater treadmill. The initial 102 students who enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine will begin supervised rotations at the clinic in the spring of 2017. Still to come on the Glendale, Ariz., campus are a 70,000-square-foot large animal hospital, called the Bovine and Equine Center, and a necropsy and pathology center. The small animal hospital “will offer the highest-quality veterinary care provided by our academic faculty veterinarians,” said Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., Midwestern’s president and CEO. “We have worked hard to build state-of-the-art technology in all areas of the facility to educate our students to become highly skilled and compassionate veterinarians in the future,” Goeppinger …
Lincoln Memorial’s New Center Focuses on Animal Health in Appalachian RegionDecember 18, 2014Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU-CVM) has formed an animal health center in the Appalachian region. The Center for Animal Health in Appalachia, located at the DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center in Harrogate, Tenn., and Lee County, Va., will host an annual conference on animal and public health issues in Appalachia each October starting in 2015. “Our veterinary school is devoted to the mission of improving animal and human healthcare in the Appalachian region,” said Glen Hoffsis, DVM, dean and vice president of Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine. “The team we’ve assembled for [the center] will be instrumental in achieving this vital public mission.” The center plans to fulfill its mission through the following initiatives: Host conferences, workshops and training programs. Provide veterinary students with the opportunity to earn a Rural Animal Practice Certificate, combining: a. in-house and hands-on training in mixed animal medicine, surgery, veterinary business practices and communications, b. public health training in one health, drawing in part on Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia resources including diagnostic laboratories and LMU-CVM facilities, c. clinical placements in private and public practices in Appalachia and d. focused training in mixed animal veterinary business practices. Hold community educational programs for …
20-Year-Old LifeLearn Unveils New IdentityDecember 17, 2014LifeLearn Inc., which provides educational and marketing resources for the veterinary industry, has gotten a makeover with a new logo and website and the tagline “Knowledge unbound.” The logo’s colors—blue, green and orange—weren’t random choices. Rather, blue was selected to show “confidence, intelligence and trust,” orange to represent action and green as a symbol of the Canadian company’s “roots and continued growth,” LifeLearn reported Dec. 12. “The three-tiered ‘E’ not only incorporates LifeLearn’s core pillars of business, but it also visually represents how LifeLearn serves as a catalyst to elevate the animal health industry with actionable knowledge—to move forward, upward and through to deep understanding in action,” according to the company. The rebranding is the latest development from a company that for 20 years “has been committed to enhancing the veterinary community with educational and communication tools,” said James Carroll, the president and CEO. “This rebrand more accurately reflects our evolution and unifies our value proposition across the wide spectrum of clients we serve, ranging from single-doctor veterinary practices to large animal health corporations,” Carroll said. In other news, a new language-recognition computer program called LifeLearn Sofie allows veterinarians to type in a question and receive “relevant, objective and …
