Merck To Relocate Animal Health HQ To U.S.January 31, 2012 Merck Animal Health intends to move its corporate headquarters from Boxmeer, the Netherlands, to its Summit, N.J. campus, the company reported today. The company also plans to centralize its commercial and marketing functions in Summit as part of its worldwide strategic plan, which included changing its name in June 2011 from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health to Merck Animal Health in the U.S. and MSD Animal Health outside of the U.S. Merck Animal Health believes it can operate more effectively and efficiently with the centralization of its headquarters' functions in the U.S., according to president Rick DeLuca. The move will bring the animal health headquarters closer to parent company Merck and Co.’s headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J. The Boxmeer site will remain a pivotal part of Merck Animal Health’s global business and strategy, especially in the areas of manufacturing and biological research and development, the company said. Merck estimates about 65 redundancies in Boxmeer as a result of the move, but the facility will continue to employ about …
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Hawaii Mulls Dog Warranty BillJanuary 30, 2012 Hawaii’s House Committee on Economic Revitalization and Business has scheduled a hearing for tomorrow on House Bill 2161, legislation that would establish a statutory warranty for dogs sold by pet stores and breeding kennels that sold two or more litters of dogs to the public in the past year. Under the proposed legislation, buyers of dogs determined “unfit for sale” within 10 days of the purchase would be entitled to reimbursement of the original purchase cost. The buyer would be able to choose between returning the dog to the pet store for a full refund, an exchange for another dog of comparable value or keeping the dog and being reimbursed for veterinary fees for “curing or attempting to cure” the dog up to the dog’s purchase price. Buyers would be eligible for reimbursement if a veterinarian certified within 10 business days of the dog’s purchase that the dog had become ill or had died from a disease or condition that existed at the time of the purchase from the pet store. House Bill 2161 would also require sellers to provide buyers at the time of …
Avoid Crunch Time By Preparing Now For TaxesJanuary 30, 2012 Experts recommend looking at taxes as two components: planning and preparation. Tax planning should be done year-round to reap the best possible outcomes and to make tax preparation less stressful. Veterinarians consumed with patient, staff and daily business responsibilities often put tax planning on the back burner and then miss out on opportunities to find ways to reduce their tax liabilities. Experts say that even if an equipment write-off or other significant deduction is unlikely, advance knowledge of what you will owe in taxes makes for less stress in April. “Failing to plan or planning at the wrong interval of time is fairly common,” says Mark McGaunn, CPA, PFS, CFP, a managing member at McGaunn & Schwadron CPAs LLC in Needham Heights, Mass. “For practices with static receipts and disbursements, and level inventory and accounts receivable, we recommend that the shareholders or LLC members entertain proactive tax planning in late November or early December at a minimum. “For clients with fluctuating income,” he continues, “possible capital expenditures of $25,000 or more during the year, we like to see tax plans generated at June 30, September 30 and late November or early December. Filling out the forms …
Sentinel Spectrum Receives FDA ApprovalJanuary 27, 2012Novartis Animal Health US Inc.’s Sentinel Spectrum (milbemycin oxime/lufenuron/praziquantel) Tablets received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, the agency reported today. Sentinel Spectrum is indicated for the prevention of heartworm disease and the prevention and control of flea populations, adult whipworms and adult tapeworms in dogs and puppies two pounds of body weight or greater and six weeks of age and older. The new product adds the anthelmintic praziquantel to the existing Sentinel formula, allowing for treatment and control of tapeworms. The FDA approval qualifies Novartis for three years of marketing exclusivity of the drug through Dec. 8, 2014. The FDA approved Sentinel Spectrum tablets in the ratio of 0.5 mg milbemycin oxime, 10 mg lufenuron and 5 mg of praziquantel per kilogram of the dog’s body weight, once a month. It was approved in four configurations, including: 2.3 mg milbemycin oxime, 46 mg lufenuron and 22.8 mg praziquantel; 5.75 mg milbemycin oxime, 115 mg lufenuron and 57 mg praziquantel; 11.5 mg milbemycin oxime, 230 mg lufenuron and 114 mg praziquantel; or 23 mg milbemycin oxime, 460 mg lufenuron, and 228 mg praziquantel. <HOME>http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/images/vpn-tab-image/approved-stamp-300px.jpg1/27/2012 1:30 PM
Check Out VPN.com's 10 Most-read Stories Of 2011January 26, 2012Here are the stories VeterinaryPracticeNews.com visitors found to be the most interesting in 2011. 10. FDA Approves Atopica for Cats Atopica for cats (cyclosporine oral solution, USP) modified, a treatment for chronic allergic dermatitis, has been approved by the FDA as the first OK'd for treating allergic dermatitis in cats...Read more >> 9. New Novartis Flea and Tick Products to Hit Market Novartis Animal Health US, Inc. today launched new EPA-approved flea and tick control products for dogs and cats to be available through U.S. veterinarians this summer...Read more >> 8. Low Thiamine Levels Prompts Canned Cat Food Recall WellPet LLC is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Wellness canned cat food due to low thiamine levels...Read more >> 7. Target Sells Pet-Specific Medications in Pilot Program A Target stores trial program filling veterinary prescriptions for animal-specific medications is being well received by customers, the Minneapolis-based retailer reported...
AVMA Urges Action Against Prescription BillJanuary 25, 2012 The American Veterinary Medical Association renewed its efforts to rally members in opposition of H.R. 1406, the Fairness to Pet Owners Act of 2011. In September 2011, the AVMA called upon its members to contact their representatives after Walmart published a statement favoring the bill. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade is setting its agenda for the year and has expressed an interest in seeing the bill placed on its calendar for 2012, the AVMA said. In an effort to quash the bill, the American Veterinary Medical Association called on its members to contact subcommittee chair Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif, and express their opposition to the act. The Fairness to Pet Owners Act would require veterinarians to write a prescription for medication for small animals regardless of whether the prescription is to be dispensed on-site or from a third party. It would also require veterinarians to provide a written disclosure statement explaining that pet owners have the option to fill their prescriptions through a different pharmacy. The bill would also make it illegal to request …
Merck Partners With Dutch University On Quest For Bovine Mastitis VaccineJanuary 24, 2012 Dutch company Merck Animal Health embarked on the development of new vaccination strategies to protect against bovine mastitis by signing an agreement with the Department of Medical Microbiology of the University Medical Center Utrecht and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Merck reported today. The project, titled “Evasion Molecules in Bovine Mastitis Vaccines” (EVAC), aims to develop a series of vaccines against difficult-to-treat infections with certain bacteria known to cause bovine mastitis, such as Staphylococcus aureu, Streptococcus uberis and Escheria coli. Development of vaccines against bovine mastitis have been hampered due to the relevant pathogens’ creation of “immune evasion molecules” that block or interfere with important processes in the immune system of the cow, Merck said. Evasion molecules also appear to interfere with the immune response that is provoked against vaccines. Therefore, despite the induction of high antibody levels, the clinical efficacy of most mastitis vaccines developed so far have been poor, Merck said. Through the EVAC project, 25 of the 50 evasion molecules have been identified and characterized, and recombinant versions of the proteins have been produced. Combinations of such evasion molecules will be added to traditional antigens in candidate vaccines. …
Convenia Gains 28 Days Of Shelf LifeJanuary 23, 2012 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new product label for Pfizer Animal Health’s Convenia (cefovecin sodium) that extends the in-use shelf life of the product from 28 days to 56 days once the vial has been reconstituted. Convenia, which debuted in 2008, is a single-injection cephalosporin for treatment of common canine and feline bacterial skin infections. Some veterinarians were concerned about being able to use the entire vial of Convenia before the in-use expiration date, Pfizer said. To address the concerns, the Madison, N.J.-based company conducted stability studies to extend the in-use shelf life of the product. The label change did not correspond with a change in formulation or manufacturing process. The 56-day label applies to all Convenia currently in inventory as well as future inventory of the product. <HOME>
Rhode Island Considers Psittacine BillsJanuary 20, 2012Rhode Island Considers Psittacine BillsRhode Island Considers Psittacine Bills, parrot, birds, psittacosisThe Rhode Island House and Senate proposed companion bills that would allow psittacine birds, also known as parrots, to be microchipped instead of fitted with an identifying band and permit birds exposed to psittacosis to be treated rather than destroyed.The Rhode Island House and Senate proposed companion bills that would allow psittacine birds to be microchipped instead of fitted with an identifying band and permit birds exposed to psittacosis to be treated rather than destroyed.newslineRhode Island Considers Psittacine BillsPosted: Jan. 20, 2012, 2:05 p.m. EST RI bills would spare birds with psittacosis and allow parrots to be microchipped instead of fitted with ID bands. The Rhode Island House and Senate proposed companion bills that would allow psittacine birds, also known as parrots, to be microchipped instead of fitted with an identifying band and permit birds exposed to psittacosis to be treated rather than destroyed. Current Rhode Island law requires each parrot acquired or sold in the state to be outfitted with closed, metal ID band indentifying the breeder by whom they were bred. The bills, SB 2031 and
Grant Program Convinces Shelters To Vaccinate For Dog FluJanuary 19, 2012 More than half of the nearly 1,400 animal shelters and rescue groups that received doses of Merck Animal Health’s Nobivac Canine Flu H3N8 vaccine plan to add canine influenza vaccination to standard protocol. Animal shelters and rescue groups across 49 states have received nearly one million doses of the vaccine through the “Building Community Immunity” program – a joint effort between Petfinder.com and Boxmeer, The Netherlands-based Merck Animal Health. The program aims to build community immunity against the canine influenza virus, also known as dog flu, by encouraging vaccination of all adopted dogs. Each grant recipient received up to a four-month, two-dose per dog supply of the vaccine. In a survey completed by recipients, 45 percent of respondents cited a decrease in canine coughing and 54 percent of establishments saw an improvement in the overall health of the dogs as a result of the addition of the vaccine. “Vaccinating dogs in shelters and rescues is an important step to help build community immunity against canine influenza because they are adopted out into various locations and move from state to state,” said Liz Neuschartz, executive director of the Petfinder.com Foundation. <Home>
