On The Road With AlcheraBio
September 2009
Dr. Johnny Jacobsen attended the inaugural Animal Health Investment Forum in Kansas City on September 1st. The event afforded animal health companies and the investment community the opportunity to hear from nearly 20 companies with emerging products, technologies, and services. It is likely that another Forum will be held in 2010. For background on the event, go to kcanimalhealthforum.com/ and keep an eye out for announcements about another forum in 2010.
AlcheraBio LLC is pleased to have been a Bronze Sponsor of the 16th Biennial AAVPT Symposium on June 14-17. AAVPT symposia have traditionally provided an opportunity for academicians, industry, students, and the regulatory community to exchange information and ideas in a comfortable atmosphere; offered an enticing blend of pharmacology education, regulatory updates, and reports on critical areas of veterinary medicine; and honored people who have made significant contributions in the field – and this symposium was no exception. Topics ranged from pharmacology education and clinical pharmacology to antimicrobials, pain models, bioequivalence, canine oncology, and adverse event rporting. Dr. Bernadette Dunham of the FDA CVM gave an overview of the agency’s mission and other agency representatives spoke about compounding, surveillance and compliance, MUMS (minor use minor species), and ADUFA II and AGDUFA (Animal Drug User Fee Act II, Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act). The Symposium was followed by a seminar on bioequivalence. The seminar included lectures by internationally recognized bioequivalence experts and offered attendees an opportunity to take part in critical interactive discussions.
May 2009
Katherine Moldave represented AlcheraBio and its parent company, Argenta, at BIO 2009 in Atlanta. The BIO landscape seems to have changed somewhat since the 2007 convention in Chicago – the previous BIO attended by AlcheraBio. There appeared to be fewer small biotech and life sciences companies with emerging technologies and therapeutics on the exhibit floor, but it also appears that animal health companies have discovered this event. Representatives from several animal health companies, including Merial, Boerhinger-Ingelheim, Elanco, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, attended. Sessions on transgenic animals were well attended.
April 2009
On April 14, 2009, Dr. Linda Rhodes, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, delivered a lecture on nonsurgical contraception in cats and dogs as part of Penn Vet’s Shelter Animal Medicine Program. According to the University’s website, Penn Vet has spayed adoptable dogs in partnership with the city since 2002 and is working to eliminate the unnecessary killing of potentially adoptable animals in Philadelphia. The program also offers students experience in other shelter issues and topics, including homeless animal management, the role of the veterinarian in an animal shelter, pet animal overpopulation, forensic medicine, infectious disease control, behavior problems and evaluations, wellness, and animal cruelty, neglect and hoarding. By partnering with the major players in animal welfare in Philadelphia and beyond, the school has not only developed a model program for students, it continues to be the force behind the rescue of the lives of thousands of adoptable animals in the city.
March 2009
Dr. Linda Rhodes, AlcheraBio founder and vice president – clinical development, was an invited speaker at Interphex 2009. Her presentation focused on outsourcing clinical trials.
February 2009
Dr. Cynthia Clendenin, AlcheraBio Senior Clinical Research Coordinator, attended the Western Veterinary Conference in February 2009. Many interesting topics in veterinary medicine were discussed in the seminars, including use of NSAIDs in cats; issues in the approval and use of antimicrobials in veterinary patients; new therapies for endocrine disorders; and use of probiotics as an adjunct treatment for a variety of disease states. The Conference provided an excellent opportunity to speak with practicing veterinarians about what they feel are the most important current issues, as well as to hear about emerging treatment modalities. Clinicians who are interested in participating in clinical trials are invited to contact Dr. Clendenin to discuss the potential benefits for their patients, their clinics, and their own medical knowledge.
January 2009
Dr. Linda Rhodes attended the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando where she was able to meet with a number of AlcheraBio clients and potential clients.
October 2008
Dr. Linda Rhodes, Michele Rivera, and Michele Nichols attended the Companion Animal Protocol and Data Submission Workshop sponsored by the Animal Health Institute (AHI) and FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. The workshop focused on the development of protocols and submissions that are prepared by the animal health industry. The workshop was held in Washington, DC in close proximity to the headquarters of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Topics presented included the path to protocol concurrence, review of different types of submissions, and building quality data submissions. The goal was to give participants information to streamline their submissions. The meeting provided a unique opportunity to meet CVM staff members whose roles include reviewing submissions. Participants were able to ask questions and hear first-hand from the CVM. Representatives from a wide variety of pharmaceutical companies were in attendance and this meeting was an excellent opportunity for our AlcheraBio staff members to meet with existing clients and introduce ourselves to prospective ones as well.
Katherine Moldave and Dr. Cynthia Clendenin attended the USP/FDA CVM seminar on antimicrobials labeling. Aside from offering an excellent opportunity to meet with key animal health industry representatives and hear a broad range of opinions on the issue of antimicrobial labeling, the event attracted academicians and regulatory personnel as well as industry representatives.