Merial Enters Into Research Agreements With Infectious Disease Research InstituteJuly 14, 2010 Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga., and the Infectious Disease Research Institute, a Seattle-based nonprofit biotechnology organization, reported today that they are collaborating on the research and development of certain animal vaccines. Under a new license option agreement, Merial can use IDRI’s proprietary subunit antigens and adjuvant in a vaccine. Merial would then be responsible for any vaccine development and commercialization. Merial has also agreed to sponsor research at IDRI to evaluate the combination of IDRI’s and Merial’s vaccine technologies for second-generation vaccines. Laurent Fischer, DVM, Ph.D., of Merial and Ajay Bhatia, Ph.D., of IDRI will lead the research. In addition, the agreements include global access provisions whereby resulting licensed products are guaranteed to be used in developing countries. These particular terms are meant to align with IDRI’s nonprofit charitable mission — “to apply innovative science to the research and development of products to prevent, detect and treat infectious diseases of poverty,” according to IDRI. The nonprofit is also developing human vaccines, separate from this arrangement with Merial. <HOME>
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Pre-Registration For Discounted Human Rabies Booster At AVMA Ends July 15July 13, 2010 The Apothecary Shops is offering low-cost rabies booster shots for veterinarians and veterinary staff attending the upcoming American Veterinary Medical Association conference in Atlanta on July 31 and Aug. 1. AVMA attendees who pre-register by Thursday, July 15 will be able to receive a single booster rabies vaccine for $189. The vaccine can normally run about $250 to $300, according to Brett Cordes, DVM, director of animal health for The Apothecary Shops, a chain of independent full-service pharmacies with nine specialty areas including veterinary medicine. The company is offering the vaccines at cost to help draw attention to the importance of vaccination. “Rabies is a serious problem for veterinarians, their staff and animal-care workers,” Dr. Cordes said. “Veterinarians and public officials have done a tremendous job protecting the public from rabies by vaccinating animals. But they, themselves, are not as well protected as they need to be.” To date, the response has been very good, according to Julie Mystrom, marketing director for The Apothecary Shops. More than 30 pre-registration applications have been filled and paid for, and they continue to receive phone calls requesting more information, she said. Pre-registration is important because once the vaccines …
BluePearl Veterinary Partners Gains 2 Specialty PracticesJuly 12, 2010 Georgia Veterinary Specialists (GVS) and Michigan Veterinary Specialists (MVS) have joined BluePearl Veterinary Partners. There are now 12 BluePearl veterinary specialty, referral and emergency facilities in seven states. GVS, which was founded in 1995, employs about 150 veterinarians, technicians and support staff. The Atlanta-based facility has more than 10,000 annual patient visits. “This partnership represents a unique opportunity for us at GVS to collaborate with some of the veterinary industry’s best and brightest around the country,” said Mark Dorfman, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, medical director of GVS. “Because BluePearl is owned and operated by veterinarians and veterinary industry professionals, we share a focused commitment to improving outcomes for pets. “Another unique strength of BluePearl is the operating structure. Each hospital retains and operates with existing local leadership enabling the team, which knows its patients, pet-owning community and referring veterinarians best, to continue to provide quality medical care efficiently and effectively.” MVS, which was founded in 1990, includes three hospitals in the state, one in Southfield, one in Auburn Hills and another in Grand Rapids. Collectively, MVS has a staff of 120 doctors, technicians and support staff, and sees more than 15,000 patients each year. “The …
Forum On Animal Disease Traceability Scheduled For AugustJuly 9, 2010 The U.S. Animal Health Association and the National Institutes for Animal Agriculture will host a Joint Strategy Forum on Animal Disease Traceability on Aug. 30-31 in Denver. The forum follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision this year to redirect its efforts on animal identification to developing a framework for animal disease traceability. Under the new framework, the USDA will determine the rules for the interstate movement of animals, while states and tribal nations will be responsible for the traceability within their boundaries. The forum will bring together state and tribal animal health officials, animal producers, livestock marketers and handlers, and meat processors. They will provide input on the preliminary standards being developed by the USDA’s Traceability Regulatory Working Group. The standards are scheduled to be released in mid-August. Organizers hope the forum leads to a white paper that will document the issues and potential solutions surrounding animal disease traceability. “This forum will allow for the open flow of ideas and concerns,” said Richard Breitmeyer, …
FDA Requests MUMS Grant ApplicationsJuly 8, 2010 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is accepting applications for a grant program that supports the development of new animal drugs. The applications are due Sept. 3. The program was established by the Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004. The MUMS act helps make more medications legally available to veterinarians and animal owners to treat minor animal species and minor uses in major animal species. Major species include horses, dogs, cats, cattle, swine, turkeys and chickens. All other animal species, except humans, are considered minor species. In accordance with the statute, a MUMS grant must be for the purpose of “defraying the costs of qualified safety and effectiveness testing expenses incurred in connection with the development of designated new animal drugs.” The grants are good for up to $50,000 a year for up to two years for routine studies and up to $100,000 a year for up to two years for studies of unusual complexity, duration or size. A third year of funding may be available for long-term toxicology studies. Click here for details. <HOME>
The Art And The Science Of Proper BandagingJuly 8, 2010 Applying a bandage is an art form. Too much padding? It won’t immobilize the limb efficiently. Photo by Dr. Phil Zeltzman Open wounds from a tight bandage in a 6-year-old Setter’s hind leg. Not enough padding? Be prepared for pressure sores. Too tight? We are not discussing tourniquets here! Too loose? Be ready for an unhappy client when the bandage falls off. Placing a bandage is also a whole science.1 It’s much more complicated than it looks. And like everything else in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to place a bandage. A modified Robert-Jones, arguably the most common bandage, is made of three layers, unless, of course, you count your technicians’ creative decorations as a separate layer. Stay in Contact The first step in bandaging a limb is the placement of tape stirrups. As long as the health of the skin and the location of the open wound allow, strips of tape are placed laterally, medially or cranially to the leg. It is better to avoid placing a stirrup caudally, as it could damage …
Trust Us, Young Vets Have Lots To OfferJuly 8, 2010 I get more than my share of mail from Veterinary Practice News readers who disparage my ability to serve as a competent observer of practice life, often on the basis of my “associate” status. It’s been suggested that because I serve at the pleasure of my bosses in a mere associate’s capacity, my approach to certain subjects offers no more than an underling’s understanding of the intricacies and stressors inherent to practice ownership. It’s also been claimed on more than one occasion that this column rightfully belongs to a veterinarian with a higher perch and a practiced point of view, not to someone whose associate-ship likely means her business acumen is confined to her academic experience. As if that wasn’t enough of a dig, other comments—even on VeterinaryPracticeNews.com—have suggested that any given practice owner might love nothing better than to know I worked for the competition. Presumably that’s because I’m an uppity associate who challenges their status quo. After all, even my most demanding employers never complained about my production numbers or client-building skills––that is until I worked for the competition. And while I’ll never begrudge anyone their right to play the loudmouth with other people’s …
Bonding With Patients, VeterinariansJuly 8, 2010 Ten years ago, the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians (AAH-ABV) introduced or refreshed the concept of pet hospice to the veterinary profession. Dr. Caroline Schaffer of Tuskegee veterinary college was president of the AAH-ABV at the time. She wanted to provide a platform for pet hospice. She asked me to present an oncologist’s version of pet hospice at AVMA 2000. Dr. Short asked me to give the profession my energy and perspective on end-of-life care. The first thing that came to mind was to give it a new name. Instead of hospice, I came up with “Pawspice” (rhymes with hospice) because there is a big difference between human and pet hospice. Pet owners and their attending veterinarians are the decision makers at every step of the way, especially when it is the right time to end the hospice and use humane euthanasia. Sadly, at the time of this writing, my husband and I are participating in hospice care for our dear friend Tony Soich. Tony is dying of tongue cancer associated with chewing tobacco and smoking cigarettes since he was a teenager. He has been battling tongue cancer and unable to eat for over a …
Digital Angel Eliminates ‘Corporate Structure’ To Focus On Animal ID BusinessJuly 7, 2010 Digital Angel reported today that it is eliminating its “corporate structure,” and the associated costs of a separate headquarters, and several management positions. The changes are expected to result in cost savings of about $2 million per year, according to the company. Digital Angel said that the move is part of its turnaround plan. Over the past two years, Digital Angel has been divesting businesses deemed to be non-core in order to focus on the company’s animal identification business, Destron Fearing. “Our focus on Destron Fearing eliminates the need for the corporate structure that was put in place by the previous management team,” said Joe Grillo, chief executive officer. “By integrating Destron Fearing’s operational management with Digital Angel’s management of public company functions and responsibilities, we are eliminating positions that can be more efficiently outsourced or performed at Destron Fearing’s headquarters in South Saint Paul, Minn. “Under the new structure, we are more streamlined and have significantly lower overhead costs. These savings should allow us to further strengthen our balance sheet and redirect resources to the Destron Fearing Animal Identification business, where we see significant growth opportunities and a bright future.” Jason Prescott, treasurer of …
United Pet Group Expands Recall To Include Cat And Dog ProductsJuly 7, 2010 Due to salmonella concerns, United Pet Group of Cincinnati has expanded its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin tablets for dogs to include additional branded and private label pet care products. The expanded recall, issued July 2, includes more Pro-Pet products as well as various Excel-branded and private label pet supplements and clean-up products for cats and dogs. Laboratory testing has revealed that some lots of these products may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the company. The company said it is recalling additional products out of “an abundance of caution.” The affected products are in tablet and powdered form and were sold nationally at various retailers, including Petco and Doctors Foster and Smith, United Pet Group reported. The affected products carry expiration dates from “01/2013” through “06/2013.” Products with expirations dates before “01/2013” or after “06/2013” are not included in the recall. The company had issued a voluntary recall in late June of all unexpired lots of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin tablets for dogs. At that time, the company reported that one lot of the vitamin product was contaminated with salmonella. Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic …
