Personally, my pets are members of my family, and I want them to be happy and healthy. Healthy animals make healthy people. A big component of healthy animals means providing them with therapies to ensure their health. Bioanalysis is required to determine if those therapies are being absorbed, distributed, and eliminated appropriately so they have maximum positive impact. Just as in human health, animal health requires exposure data from plasma or blood compartments – enter bioanalysis.
More and more of us now own pets. A recent study found more than 70% of U.S. households, or about 90.5 million families, own a pet, according to the 2021-22 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association. That's way up from the 56% of U.S. households in 1988 and the trend continues to climb. Pets are now like family and veterinary care spending has increased to >$34 billion per year. Companion animal therapeutics including drugs to treat bacterial infections, allergies and even cancer are becoming more common.
Human health research has a positive impact on animal health R&D. An example is the pioneering work for a veterinary monoclonal antibody (mAb) approved for canine pruritus. Zoetis recently received approval for Cytopoint for pruritis in canines. Pruritus is a common manifestation of dermatologic diseases, including xerotic eczema, atopic dermatitis, and allergic contact dermatitis, where the canine undergoes continuous scratching to relieve the troublesome itch. Cytopoint provides relieve for an extended period upon one injection and allows the skin time to heal. Zoetis also announced in September 2022, the launch of Solensia, the first and only mAb for treatment of osteoarthritis pain in cats. I am sure this is just the beginning of treatments for animal health with biological therapeutics.
Traditionally, most CRO’s place prime emphasis on human pharma R&D while veterinary R&D gets little or no attention. I love my pets, and I want them healthy with a long quality life. I’m proud that at Veloxity, we have the expertise, capabilities, and willingness to make animal health bioanalysis a priority with human health bioanalysis. Our staff has the knowledge and experience with the Centers for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) to move animal health therapeutics forward.
Our experienced scientists continue to support therapeutic programs for companion animal health. We want to be the go-to bioanalytical CRO for animal health bioanalysis. Contact us to discuss your next project where we continue to “MOVE AT THE SPEED OF BIOANALYSIS”
Shane Needham, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, CEO and President
Veloxity Labs, LLC