Biotech Drugs – The Future of Veterinary Medicine?

By Amy Fernandez

Almost overnight, biotech drugs have transitioned from a futuristic concept to an indispensible aspect of modern medicine. They now rank as seven of the top 10 prescription drugs for humans and may soon have an equally big impact in veterinary medicine.

Among other breakthroughs, gene sequencing provided new insight into disease processes at the molecular level – notably the variations in biochemical pathways that alter responses to drug therapy. Those discoveries inspired a new class of genetically engineered drugs derived from recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies.  Biotech drugs are tailored to target specific disease genes, thus removing the traditional trial-and-error guesswork from drug therapy. They’ve revolutionized treatment for several major diseases, especially cancer which, according to AVMA stats, accounts for nearly half the deaths of geriatric dogs. An August 2 business report in The Times profiled the trailblazing veterinary biotech startups that are seeking to fill this apparent market niche.

That potential goldmine has lured investors and venture capitalists fortified by statistics suggesting that the consumer market for pet care has become virtually recession proof – a hunch supported by the strong response to the initial public offerings of veterinary biotech companies last year.  Americans spent nearly $56 billion on their pets last year, an almost 50 percent rise since 2008.  More specifically, 2013 spending for veterinary services topped $14.4 billion, confirming an even more dramatic increase throughout the recession.

Even so, pharmaceutical industry heavyweights have been slow to move into the veterinary biotech game. The  incentive to develop and produce drugs is market driven. Biotech drugs are a  cash cow, but medical spending doesn’t infallibly mirror trends in the veterinary drug field. Big players already market versions of many bestsellers like Prozac/Reconcile through their veterinary divisions. However, this market has always represented a tiny fraction of industry profit and rarely justifies much of the R&D budget.

Human drugs have a well-established, but limited, role in veterinary medicine. Some are verboten because of side effects. Others must be reformulated. Surprisingly, that includes monoclonal antibodies despite the fact they were originally developed through animal research. Antibody strains that were proven effective in laboratory mice were then redesigned for human applications, and must be redesigned again to induce similar immune responses in animals. This costly complication has been surmounted, but so far, biotech profit potential hasn’t revised their traditional focus on livestock drugs and small animal products with a steady demand, like vaccines.

In reality cost remains a significant barrier at every level. Biotech proponents stress that that veterinary drugs can be developed faster and more economically since the regulatory approval process is far less arduous. Moreover, the groundwork for some veterinary biotechs was completed while developing human counterparts. And in some cases, failed biotech drugs can be repurposed for the veterinary market. This factor can substantially cut the development phase and initial R/D costs. But no cost cutting measures are likely to make biotech therapy comparable to current costs for complex veterinary therapies like chemotherapy.

Right now, Big Pharma is waiting to see if pet owners are willing to fork over hard-earned cash for these potential miracle drugs. They won’t have to wait long. Veterinary biotech drugs for lymphoma are beginning to receive conditional regulatory approval. And a two-year-old biotech startup company, Kindred, recently announced that it will seek approval for a veterinary version of the arthritis drug, Diacerein.  Ironically, in Europe, regulators are concurrently implementing safety restrictions because of Diacerein’s link to liver damage.  Developers state that this side effect poses minimal risk to dogs.

Although biotech drugs remain an expensive gamble in many respects, they seem destined to become a staple of modern veterinary medicine. In that case, they will receive the same marketing push that’s helped to drive sales of industry blockbusters like Humira. Unfortunately, that factor is underplayed in optimistic media reports. As in human medicine, drug companies wield substantial influence in the veterinary profession. They habitually leverage their relationships with schools and suppliers to promote their interests – and the resulting impact on veterinary care remains an ongoing source of controversy.

Biotech drugs may be the wave of the future. So far, their track record is impressive, but  only time can provide a final verdict of their value. And that’s the real question owners must consider before choosing this option.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Aug 6 2014. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.