Tracking Trends: Human Drugs for Animal Health

Let’s face it – we humans love our pets. World pet markets are growing at a dramatic rate, with several countries witnessing higher-than-ever pet ownership and spending. Industry insiders attribute this growth to the humanization of pets. This means that more and more cultures now regard companion animals as beloved family members. Hence, there is a push to increase the standard of living for pets – including higher quality veterinary care products.

In fact, animal health spending is a $30 billion industry, growing at approximately 7% per year.  While a significant portion of veterinary healthcare spending is spent on ensuring the health of livestock, there is a fast-growing segment for companion animal care.

What, you might ask, can a company like West do for this market?

Containment matters. Whether it’s for humans or animals, drug products require primary containment that is suited to the unique needs of the drug itself. Today we are seeing a significant trend in human drug development crossing over into animal drug development. Such therapies addressing auto-immune conditions, treatments for pain, cancer and even diabetes.

For example, Zoetis, a leading animal health care company, recently obtained European marketing authorization for Cytopoint™ (lokivetmab), the first mAb therapy for veterinary use. This once monthly injectable product is used to treat clinical signs of atopic dermatitis in dogs, including itching and inflammation. The drug targets and neutralizes canine interleukin-31 (cIL-31), a key protein involved in triggering itch in dogs. The drug is available in single dose vials containing 10, 20, 30 or 40 mg/kg.¹

West has partnered with drug companies to provide veterinary care products for more than 10 years. Our products help to ensure the quality and efficacy of the drugs given to our companions. As this industry grows, we’ll continue to collaborate with animal health care companies to keep our pets healthy, comfortable and safe – just like one of the family. For more information contact a technical representative.