Zoetis appoints US Diagnostics executive director and chief medical officerJanuary 10, 2018Zoetis has appointed Richard E. Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA to the position of executive director and chief medical officer, US Diagnostics, effective Feb. 5. Dr. Goldstein will lead the diagnostics team in expanding its product portfolio and will spearhead the division's studies and publishing opportunities. "Dr. Goldstein is a well-respected, internationally-renowned veterinarian in small animal internal medicine and we're honored to have him join our Zoetis team," said Lisa Lee, vice president, US Diagnostics and Business Solutions, Zoetis. "His award-winning work, research, and passion for preventing genetic and infectious diseases make him an ideal fit for our company as we continue to develop innovative technologies and solutions to diagnose disease as well as treat and improve the lives of pets." In his role at Zoetis, Goldstein will work closely with the US Companion Animal Division to develop educational events for sales and marketing, while leading the company's "Predict, Prevent, Detect and Treat" strategy. He also will manage the Key Opinion Leader program. Goldstein and his team will continue to emphasize digital innovation, diagnostics, genetic tests, and biodevices as important tools to help veterinarians make better healthcare decisions informed by data. Prior to joining Zoetis, Goldstein spent 12 …
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Aratana Therapeutics secures USDA conditional license for canine osteosarcoma vaccineJanuary 10, 2018Aratana Therapeutics announced that its canine osteosarcoma vaccine, Live Listeria Vector (AT-014), has been granted a conditional license by the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics for the treatment of dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma, 1 year of age or older. The vaccine is a novel immunotherapy developed by using a listeria-based antigen delivery system licensed from Advaxis Inc. "Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in dogs and, since there haven't been advances to raise the standard of care in nearly 20 years, dogs often face a poor prognosis," said Ernst Heinen, DVM, Ph.D., chief development officer of Aratana Therapeutics. "We are hopeful that our canine osteosarcoma vaccine will be a new tool for veterinary oncologists to prolong survival in dogs with osteosarcoma." According to the company, the vaccine is a lyophilized formulation of a modified live, attenuated strain of listeria that activates cytotoxic T-cells. The therapeutic expresses a tumor-associated antigen that directs T-cells to fight cancer cells, even after the bacteria are cleared; the therapeutic capitalizes on the dog's immune system and its ability to attack bacterial infections, redirecting it to fight cancer cells, the company stated. Data from a clinical study …
Henry Schein acquires interest in Brazilian veterinary product distributorJanuary 9, 2018Henry Schein Inc. has acquired a 60 percent ownership investment in ABASE, a family-owned distributor of veterinary healthcare products with a strong presence in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Headquartered in Jaguariuna, ABASE sells pharmaceuticals, pet food, diagnostic equipment, and consumables primarily to the companion animal, swine, poultry, and bovine segments. Financial terms were not disclosed. "This ownership investment strengthens our position in Brazil's animal health market, which we established earlier this year in the state of Rio de Janeiro with our investment in Tecnew. It also diversifies our relationship with global suppliers and approximately doubles our vol. "We look forward to leveraging the expertise between Tecnew and ABASE to further advance both businesses and to focus on new opportunities to help veterinarians in Brazil run more efficient, successful practices while providing the highest quality care." ABASE was founded in 1990 by Edison Baba, who will retain a minority ownership position and continue to lead the business as a managing director. The company has approximately 90 employees, including a sales staff of more than 45, and operates a centralized distribution center in Jaguariuna. Henry Schein's Global Animal Health business has operations or affiliates in 24 countries, including the US, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, China, Malaysia, …
PetIQ to acquire VIP Petcare for $220MJanuary 9, 2018PetIQ Inc. is to acquire Community Veterinary Clinics LLC (d/b/a VIP Petcare), which operates 2,900 veterinary clinics within pet retailers across 31 states. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this month. Windsor, Calif.-based VIP Petcare offers diagnostic tests, vaccinations, prescription medications, microchipping, and wellness checks, and distributes pet wellness products and medications. In 2017, VIP Petcare treated more than one million pets through its stationary clinics as well as its 76,000 mobile clinics, according to the company.
Petrics launches smart pet bed, activity tracker, health and nutrition appJanuary 9, 2018Petrics Inc.'s new smart pet bed, activity tracker, and health and nutrition app tracks a pet's weight, activity levels, and rest periods, and offers climate control to keep pets in optimal comfort and safety within varying climates and seasons. The bed features a built-in scale and thermostatic heating and cooling, allowing the user to automatically or manually adjust the bed to the ideal temperature for each pet based on breed, environment, and geographic location. Manual adjustment can be done through the Petrics health and nutrition app or with commands to popular smart home products. The bed is available in three sizes and features a washable and replaceable cover and durable, comfortable construction. The bed pairs with the activity tracker, which tracks pets' caloric burn rate, rest levels, and other health metrics. The waterproof, wearable tracker syncs with any smartphone and features a four-month battery life. The bed and activity tracker communicate with the app to monitor and track health and nutrition data, get food and diet recommendations, and share findings with other family members, pet sitters, and veterinarians. The app offers reminders like vet appointments, when to administer or reorder pet medications, application dates for flea and tick prevention, and …
ASU awarded $6.4M grant to test preventive canine cancer vaccineJanuary 8, 2018Arizona State University (ASU) professor Stephen Albert Johnson, Ph.D., has received a $6.4 million grant from the Open Philanthropy Project to support a clinical trial of a vaccine to prevent canine cancer. The trial will involve approximately 800 middle-aged, healthy pet dogs and will test the effects of a multivalent frameshift peptide (FSP) vaccine developed at ASU that has shown promise in mouse studies. Scientists think the vaccine has potential for human use, too. "Our goal has always been that if this is possible, we should at least try it," said Johnston, director of the Biodesign Center for Innovations in Medicine and CEO of Calviri Inc., a cancer vaccine company. "Open Philanthropy was the only organization that responded to support our high-risk project, the biggest cancer intervention trial in dogs ever." Johnston and his team developed the new FSP vaccine over the past 10 years. The vaccine, already tested for efficacy in mice, is shown to be safe in dogs, according to Johnston's research. Cancer is the leading cause of death in pet dogs and their cancers are very similar to their human counterparts. Some breeds have a very high cancer rate, as much as 40 percent. The canine …
IDEXX offers Catalyst SDMA test to point-of-care customersJanuary 8, 2018IDEXX Laboratories Inc. announced that its Catalyst SDMA test will be commercially available to all North American customers on Jan. 16, enabling IDEXX's point-of-care customers to add SDMA as an essential element of the routine chemistry panel. The Catalyst SDMA test can be added to any chemistry panel on IDEXX's Catalyst One and Catalyst Dx chemistry analyzers as part of the patient sample run, with the full chemistry panel results, including SDMA, available within minutes. The company expects to bring the Catalyst SDMA test to customers beyond the U.S. and Canada over the course of the next several months. Additionally, to further explore SDMA's potential applications to human health, the company has signed a collaboration agreement with Yale University. As part of this partnership, the IDEXX SDMA test was validated for accuracy in measuring SDMA in human blood samples, and the results were presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology last November by Yale and IDEXX researchers. Future research with Yale will focus on the clinical utility of SDMA in human patients using the validated IDEXX SDMA Test. IDEXX first launched the IDEXX SDMA test at its reference laboratories in 2015, and has run …
American Heartworm Society announces 2018 Heartworm University scheduleJanuary 5, 2018The American Heartworm Society (AHS) is redoubling efforts to bring the latest heartworm information directly to veterinarians and veterinary nurses via scientific symposia and proceedings. Heartworm University—a traveling four- to six-hour symposium taught by AHS faculty—provides practical clinical information in an interactive format that enables presenters to address specific audience concerns and questions. Course content incorporates essential disease pathophysiology, diagnostics, screening and testing, treatment protocols, prevention strategies, and pet owner counseling, while also covering issues such as heartworm incidence trends and resistance. A preliminary schedule for Heartworm University includes the following dates and venues: Tennessee VMA/Music City Conference, Feb. 25. This six-hour session, which will be taught by veterinary cardiologist Dr. Clarke Atkins, will be held in Murfreesboro, Tenn. For more information see http://tvmanet.com/music-city-veterinary-conference/. Louisiana Academy of Veterinary Practice, March 18. This six-hour session, taught by Dr. Atkins, will be held at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, La. For more information, visit http://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/continuing_education/courses/laavp.php. Emerald Coast Veterinary Conference, June 14. This four-hour session, presented by AHS past president Dr. Stephen Jones, will be held at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, Fla. For more information see http://emeraldcoastvc.com. …
ACVIM Foundation dissolves, gives funds to MAFJanuary 4, 2018 The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Foundation, as part of its planned dissolution, has selected Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) to receive its remaining funds to invest in animal health research. "We believe that partnering with Morris Animal Foundation is the best way to see execution on the ACVIM Foundation's mission," said Linda Fineman, DVM, DACVIM, president of the ACVIM Foundation. "Through a named fund at Morris Animal Foundation, we will continue to improve the health of animals worldwide." The ACVIM board of regents previously voted to dissolve the ACVIM Foundation on a recommendation from the foundation's board of directors. A transition task force was created to oversee distribution of remaining funds. Morris Animal Foundation has established the ACVIM Fund, while the ACVIM plans to support MAF by sharing MAF research findings with veterinary audiences. "We look forward to working collaboratively with ACVIM to use these funds in a manner that will best advance veterinary medicine and improve animal health and well-being," said John Reddington, DVM, Ph.D., president and CEO of MAF. The ACVIM Foundation has distributed remaining funds totaling nearly $424,000 to MAF. Grants awarded with these funds will recognize …
Henry Schein helps raise $10K for AAEP's 'Collegiate Challenge'January 4, 2018Henry Schein Animal Health, the U.S. animal health business of Henry Schein Inc., recently led a fundraising effort that raised $10,000 for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation in support of its educational programming for the next generation of equine veterinary professionals. Jeannie Jeffery, national director of equine sales for Henry Schein Animal Health, presented the check to Richard Mitchell, DVM, AAEP Foundation chairman, at the 63nd annual AAEP Convention held in San Antonio. Henry Schein joined supplier partners Zoetis, Neogen, and Rood & Riddle to support the AAEP Foundation's "Collegiate Challenge," an initiative that encouraged convention attendees to make donations that support the following AAEP programs: student chapter activity; courses in dentistry, podiatry, and horses handling; and continuing education programs. Henry Schein and its supplier partners matched convention attendee donations up to a total donation of $10,000. Combined with Henry Schein and its partners' donation, the AAEP Foundation raised more than $24,000 through the "Collegiate Challenge." "We extend a heartfelt thank you to all who donated during the convention to the 'Collegiate Challenge'," Dr. Mitchell said. "The incredible match made by our friends at Henry Schein, Zoetis, Neogen, and Rood & Riddle will allow our foundation to continue …
