Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. government is testing four potential bird flu vaccines for poultry, officials said on Friday, after more than 58 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have died in the nation’s worst outbreak ever. The trials, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, are the first step […] Read more
U.S. begins testing bird flu vaccines for poultry after record outbreak
Four vaccines to be tested
Zoetis buys livestock data management firm
Performance Beef platform to expand drugmaker's 'precision' production offering
The producer of livestock drugs such as Draxxin, Bovatec and Excede is buying space in the “precision livestock farming” market with a deal for a U.S. livestock data management firm. New Jersey-based Zoetis, which makes drugs and vaccines for the beef and dairy cattle, equine, swine, poultry and sheep sectors as well as cats and […] Read more
Animal health firm Elanco surges on trading debut
Reuters — Eli Lilly unit Elanco Animal Health’s shares jumped as much as 41 per cent on their stock market debut on Thursday, adding to investor enthusiasm for the fast-growing animal healthcare market. Elanco’s shares opened at $32.25 on the New York Stock Exchange, higher than their IPO price of $24 per share, giving the […] Read more
Lilly’s Elanco unit expects IPO to raise up to US$1.45 billion
Reuters — Eli Lilly + Co.’s Elanco Animal Health unit expects its initial public offering to raise up to US$1.45 billion, betting on increased appetite among investors for animal health companies. The IPO of 62.9 million shares is expected to be priced between $20-$23 per unit, with the company having a valuation of about $8 […] Read more
Merck to buy Harrisvaccines to boost livestock portfolio
Chicago | Reuters — Merck and Co.’s animal health unit will buy privately-held Harrisvaccines to expand its portfolio of animal vaccines as the U.S. livestock industry seeks new defenses against diseases, the companies said on Thursday. Financial details were not disclosed. The deal, which is expected to close by year-end, follows rival Zoetis’ agreement, announced […] Read more
Antimicrobial resistance in cattle means big changes coming
Resistance crisis even has drug companies calling for producers to change their ways
Reading Time: 3 minutes Multi-drug resistance to disease-causing bacteria is quickly becoming a complete “game changer” that could cripple the cattle industry’s ability to manage common bovine diseases. “We are really slamming into the end of the antibiotic era,” said Dr. Trisha Dowling, a professor of veterinary pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. “I’ve got 24 different […] Read more
U.S. developing bird flu vaccine, no distribution plans yet
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. government is developing a vaccine to protect poultry from new strains of avian flu that have recently killed birds from Arkansas to Washington state. Within two months, scientists at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research lab in Georgia will test the vaccine on chickens to see how well […] Read more
Records show powerful antibiotic for cattle often misused by farmers
Ceftiofur accounted for one-fourth of USDA drug-residue violation reports in 2013
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is one of the most potent antibiotics used by U.S. cattle and dairy farmers. But the strength of the ceftiofur and the frequency with which it’s being misused has created a threat to human health that may overshadow the drug’s effectiveness, a Reuters examination shows. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned in 2012 […] Read more
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