Nexvet Biopharma Builds Drug-Development FundApril 17, 2014Investors poured $31.5 million into the coffers of veterinary drug developer Nexvet Biopharma, an Australian company that is researching medications that could be used to treat feline and canine pain and canine atopic dermatitis. The closing of the Series B, or second, round of financing was announced Wednesday. The proceeds are intended to assist Nexvet's work on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), or identical copies of antibodies, and expand the company's product line and U.S. operations. In development are drugs code-named NV-01, NV-02 and NV-06/08. They are designed to treat, respectively, canine pain, feline pain and chronic inflammatory diseases in dogs, such as atopic dermatitis. Pivotal trials are scheduled over the next 18 months for all three indications. A placebo-controlled study of a single injection of NV-01 in osteoarthritic dogs demonstrated four weeks of sustained pain relief and no adverse events, the company reported. Addressing shareholders and new investors, Nexvet CEO Mark Heffernan said the funding “serves as a major milestone, allowing us to expand our research and development team and greatly aiding our work to make mAbs available for the global companion animal health market, where there remains a large unmet medical need.” Nexvet’s proprietary PETisation platform technology translates monoclonal antibodies …
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Cancer-fighting Virtual Pet Walk Set For June 22April 17, 2014 Pet owners are being encouraged to step outside and go for a walk June 22. Money collected from the Unite to Fight Virtual Pet Walk will help fund cancer research projects selected by Morris Animal Foundation. The Denver nonprofit organization since 1950 has supported more than 2,000 studies of health issues involving animals. The Pet Walk is a personal undertaking, meaning individuals or groups may walk anytime June 22, pledge money and ask friends and family members to contribute to the cause. Participants may register at unitetofight.morrisanimalfoundation.org. The website keeps a running tally of the money raised, and a map shows where walks are planned. The event is part of Morris Unite to Fight Pet Cancer Campaign, which was launched today and aims to raise $250,000 within six months. The organizers set a $100,000 goal for the walk alone. The campaign has a celebrity endorser: Dos Equis beer spokesman Jonathan Goldsmith, whom commercials deem "the most interesting man in the world." "Too many families, mine included, have lived through the heartbreak of …
New BRD Vaccine Fights Viruses, BacteriaApril 15, 2014 A two-part vaccine designed to defeat bovine respiratory disease, a deadly condition that costs U.S. cattle producers up to $900 million a year, has received U.S. Department of Agriculture approval. A Veterinary Biologics License was issued for Titanium 5 + PH-M, which is manufactured by Diamond Animal Health of Des Moines, Iowa, and marketed and sold by Elanco Animal Health. The new vaccine protects cattle against five viruses and two bacteria most associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD), Elanco reported Monday. Titanium 5 + PH-M provides modified-live virus protection against bovine viral diarrhea types 1 and 2, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and parainfluenza3. The vaccine also protects against Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida bacteria. "This means veterinarians and producers can protect cattle against the important BRD-causing viruses and bacteria with just one vaccine," said Brett Terhaar, DVM, a beef technical services veterinarian with Greenfield, Ind.-based Elanco. "Producers should partner with their veterinarians to determine the best way to incorporate this new vaccine into herd-health protocols designed to fight B RD," …
PIJAC Replaces President With Board ChairmanApril 14, 2014The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has quietly replaced its president and CEO, Mike Canning, who was let go after less than four years in the organization’s top administrative post. Ken Oh, general manager of the Pet Care Division at W.F. Young Inc., assumed Canning’s job titles and continues to serve as chairman of the PIJAC board of directors. PIJAC, which focuses on legislative issues, animal care guidelines and pet ownership, did not publicly announce the leadership change, which took place in mid-January. Canning said his firing wasn’t totally unexpected. “There had been some talk about moves and changes at PIJAC over the [previous] six months,” he said. “The board decided that they wanted to go in a different direction. All I know is my services were no longer needed.” Oh confirmed Canning’s departure. “I assumed the role of president when Mike left,” Oh said. “Traditionally the PIJAC board chairman has served in the president role as well, so this is not as big a change as it seems.” While Canning’s full-time job was at PIJAC, Oh works at W.F. Young. The East Longmeadow, Mass., company makes Absorbine grooming and health care products for horses and dogs. PIJAC’s executive vice …
Veterinary Corps Dispatched To Deadly LandslideApril 14, 2014 A landslide that killed at least 36 people March 22, leading Gov. Jay Inslee to call the disaster "a historic slide, the largest in state history," made more history when the Washington State Department of Agriculture deployed its Reserve Veterinary Corps. The call-up of two veterinarians and two veterinary technicians was the first in state history. The unprecedented action followed about 30 requests for veterinary care involving rescue dogs that have combed the 1-square-mile debris field since the landslide erased the small town of Oso, Wash. The dogs are treated for cuts, dehydration, hypothermia and damaged pads. They also are decontaminated after exposure to hazardous materials, officials said. Reserve Veterinary Corps members began arriving April 5 and were expected to work rotating shifts for up to 14 days. The Department of Agriculture also contracted with Seattle Veterinary Services and Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish, Wash., for additional personnel, equipment and supplies. The Reserve Veterinary Corps consists of 135 volunteer veterinarians, veterinary technicians and other professionals trained to assist with livestock and other animals after a disease outbreak or natural disaster. The state provided a trailer designed for the team's use and a …
Pet Owners Fail To Recognize Signs Of ObesityApril 14, 2014 Research conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has found that many pet owners are still oblivious to the fact that their cats and dogs are obese. Out of 1,421 animals put to a veterinary assessment last fall, 57.6 percent of cats and 52.6 percent of dogs were classified as overweight or obese. Owners of the obese pets overwhelmingly considered their cat or dog to be of normal weight. Obesity is avoidable, said Calabash, N.C., veterinarian Ernie Ward, DVM, the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. "Among all diseases that perplex the veterinary community and plague our population of pets, obesity has the greatest collective negative impact on pet health,? Dr. Ward said. "The pet industry is mighty and well-meaning, but it's time we stop accepting the status quo. We must start working together to fight obesity through knowledge and action." The survey results, released today, showed little change from the previous year. Some 58.3 percent of cats and 52.5 percent of dogs were deemed overweight or obese in the fall of 2012. Why pet owners don't recognize obesity in their …
Abady Recalls Maintenance & Growth Formula For CatsApril 10, 2014 Robert Abady Dog Food Co. is recalling a small amount of dry cat food because of potential salmonella contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported Tuesday. The recalled Highest Quality Maintenance & Growth Formula for Cats is made with chicken meal and menhaden fish meal. The food was packaged in 2-, 5- and 15-pound corrugated boxes stamped with lot number 14029/21 on the top of the box. Routine testing of one batch revealed the presence of salmonella. No illnesses among cats or pet owners have been traced to the food, the FDA stated. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning in pets include lethargy, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. People who handle contaminated pet products may exhibit similar symptoms. Anyone who bought the recalled food may return it to the store for a refund. The Poughkeepsie, N.Y., company is fielding questions about the recall at 845-473-1900 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday. A positive salmonella test forced Abady to recall two frozen dog foods in June 2013. Recalled were 3-pound …
P&G Selling Iams, Eukanuba, NaturaApril 9, 2014 Iams, Eukanuba and Natura Pet Products will pass from one conglomerate to another in a $2.9 billion transaction that expands Mars Inc.'s pet business and guts Procter & Gamble's. The all-cash deal, announced today, adds mass-market pet food brands Iams and Eukanuba to a Mars collection that includes Royal Canin, Pedigree, Whiskas, Nutro and the Banfield pet hospital chain. The sale is expected to close later this year. "We view the addition of the Iams, Eukanuba and Natura brands as exceptionally strategic," said Todd Lachman, president of Mars Petcare Global in McLean, Va. "The deal reinforces our leadership in pet nutrition and veterinary science, attracts world-class talent and grows our world-leading portfolio." The sale extends only to North America, Latin America and other selected countries. Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. confirmed that it is looking to sell its European pet food business separately. The transaction's completion will allow P&G to dedicate resources to and focus on dozens of its leading household brands, such as Tide detergent, Gillette grooming products and Duracell batteries. "Exiting pet care is an important step in …
Banfield Headquarters To Leave Portland In 2015April 3, 2014 Banfield Pet Hospital will move its corporate headquarters across the Columbia River and into Washington state in late 2015. The relocation from Portland, Ore., to Vancouver, Wash., is designed to provide 50 percent more room for 600 employees, the company reported Wednesday. The custom-built campus will rise on 20 acres and consist of 230,000 square feet of office space along Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard. "After an extensive search that included properties on both sides of the river, we found that the Washington location best met our needs for the future," said Tony Ueber, Banfield's president and CEO. "We remain committed to the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area and look forward to serving our community, people and pets from our new headquarters." Banfield, which operates more than 850 hospitals across the United States and Puerto Rico, had its employees in mind when it explored moving no more than 10 miles from the northeast Portland headquarters. "Banfield also considered factors such as length of commute for its associates, future growth needs, proximity to restaurants and entertainment, and the total cost of business," …
Prescott, MedVet Win AAHA Practice Of The Year AwardsApril 2, 2014 A whole lot of whooping erupted in Prescott, Ariz., and Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday when the American Animal Hospital Association announced that Prescott Animal Hospital and MedVet Medical and Cancer Centers had been named Practices of the Year. Prescott won first place among general practices and MedVet took first place in the referral practice category. The fifth annual AAHA-Accredited Practice of the Year awards were given out in Nashville, Tenn., at the Lakewood, Colo., organization's yearly conference. "AAHA believes that the success of a veterinary practice depends on the entire team working together to provide excellent care for pets and their people," said AAHA's CEO, Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, Dipl. ABVP. The team at Prescott Animal Hospital was beside itself upon hearing the news. "The [award] is the pinnacle of everything we have been striving to achieve over the years," said Cameron S. Dow, DVM, a partner and owner of Prescott Animal Hospital. The goal of the AAHA-Accredited Practice of the Year Award is to recognize and celebrate the achievements of accredited practice teams. "All of these accredited practices are staffed …
