Animal vaccine producer IDT Biologika made the first overture toward its goal of becoming the leading source of livestock vaccines in the Western Hemisphere by placing its North American operations under the auspices of Americas Animal Health, a new business unit. “Following IDT’s acquisitions in North America in 2015 ... the new organization further strengthens IDT’s presence around the globe and unites all quality animal health development, production, approval and distribution activities for the Americas under one umbrella,” said Andreas Kastenbauer, head of global animal health, IDT, Dessau-Rosslau, Germany. José Ochoa, who joined IDT in 2015, will head Americas Animal Health while retaining his current role as chief business officer of IDT’s Rockville, Md., vaccine production facility. Ochoa will be supported in Canada by principals of Gallant Custom Laboratories, which manufactures autogenous biologics, such as vaccines, bacterins and toxoids, for use by the veterinary industry. Gallant was acquired in 2016 and is now a subsidiary of IDT. “By organizing our animal health business in the U.S. and Canada, arguably two of the most important markets in the world, we are rapidly advancing toward our goal of becoming the leading autogenous and commercial vaccine manufacturer in the Americas,” Kastenbauer added. In other news, IDT launched its first fully licensed swine vaccine, Ecoporc Shiga, for Canada at the January gathering of the Banff Pork Seminar, a technology transfer meeting for the Canadian pork industry. The vaccine reduces symptoms, deaths and antibiotic use in pigs with edema disease. It received Canadian governmental approval in 2016 and is already in use in parts of Europe. “We are currently building a sales network for solutions in swine diseases and our pipeline products,” Ochoa said. “The company will continue to invest in the people and infrastructure needed to realize our full potential and to support future expansion into Latin America,” he added. Originally published in the March 2017 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today!
