Dechra Enters The Production Animal Health Market
In the following interview, Mike Eldred, President North American Operations, Dechra, discusses the company’s entrance into the production animal health market, and plans for the future.
Vet-Advantage: Many people in the U.S. animal health industry are unfamiliar with the company Animal Ethics and their product Tri-Solfen®. Please tell us a little bit about the product as well as the company.
Eldred: Animal Ethics is an Australian-based company focused on bringing solutions to the animal health and human market for pain relief and wound management, whom we have partnered with in the North American market. The product, Tri- Solfen® is a topical spray and was developed by Animal Ethics in Australia. It’s a combination pain relief and wound care agent approved in Australia for use on lambs and calves undergoing surgical husbandry procedures.
It contains two topical, local anesthetic agents to numb the wound, a vasoconstrictor to minimize bleeding, and an antiseptic agent to prevent infection of the wound. These actives are contained in a thick gel base that is designed in a spray & stay agent that adheres onto the surface of the wound. The reduced risk of infection, improved wound healing, lower level of animal stress and low cost per dose, results in a strong economic case for market adoption of Tri- Solfen®. The product currently has 35 issued patents.
Vet-Advantage: How does Dechra North America plan to capitalize on this new partnership between Dechra and Animal Ethics?
Eldred: Our initial focus will be on achieving FDA approval for the use of Tri-Solfen on swine and cattle to address commonly performed husbandry procedures that can be painful and may expose the animal to infection. With the increasing focus on minimizing pain and stress for production animals, the potential for this product is extremely high.
We expect to have the development and approval process for the production animal indications completed some- time after 2020. Companion animal applications will be reviewed and developed at a later stage.
Vet-Advantage: What is your future plan for Dechra North America?
Eldred: Dechra is committed to continue its investment in products focused on improving animal health and providing high quality pharmaceuticals solutions for veterinarians. This partnership with Animal Ethics provides us with access to new innovative products and is going to be transformational for Dechra North America as it provides us with unique products to access the food animal pharmaceutical market. As we approach FDA approval, we will establish and train a food animal sales organization and look to extend our product portfolio to create a unique position for Dechra in this sector.
