Animal healthcare is not a small, niche market; it is a huge, relatively recession-proof business with large, diversified biotechnology companies trying to capture a piece of the pie. Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS), a spin-off of Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) in 2013, is the world’s largest animal healthcare company, followed by Merck (NYSE: MRK) Animal Health and then Sanofi’s (NYSE: SNY) animal healthcare arm called Merial. Cumulatively, these three majors command about 50% of the $100 billion global animal care market, leaving the rest to smaller outfits.
With a portfolio of products commercialized globally for human dermatologic applications and advanced tissue care, Oculus Innovative Sciences (NASDAQ: OCLS) has expanded it Microcyn® technology into the animal kingdom in a bid to seize sales in the lucrative industry. The specialty pharmaceutical company’s franchise of Microcyn-based products is manufactured through a patented electrochemical treatment of dilute saltwater to create a pH neutral solution of hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite. The result is safe and stable gel and liquid products backed by 45 patents, 10 FDA clearances, and 10 CE marks and proven through use by millions of patients to reduce infections, itch, pain, scarring and harmful inflammatory responses.
On Thursday, Oculus said that it has launched a new animal healthcare division spearheaded by the commercialization of six new MicrocynAH® advanced all-animal products for the care of wounds, skin and eyes in the United States and Canadian markets. In connection, Dan McFadden has been appointed as Vice President, Animal Healthcare.
The first products, now available at http://www.microcynah.com/, include multiple sizes of the MicrocynAH Wound & Skin Care liquids, MicrocynAH Wound & Skin Care Hydrogels and MicrocynAH Ophthalmic Gel. These products will be immediately followed by the introduction of MicrocynAH Farm and Ranch products for larger animals in the next few weeks. Expansion into the European markets is expected this summer.
Moreover, the company says that it is actively developing new products as well founded on its major advancements in hypochlorous acid, a space in which competitors have struggled to find success.
To establish a footprint and quickly grow sales channels, Oculus partnered with leading North American animal healthcare sales organization SLA Brands. Michael Lasky, a partner at SLA Brands, sees a “tremendous opportunity in establishing the MicrocynAH family of products as the category leader in animal wound and skin care.” With that, interested parties can learn more by reading the complete press release at: http://ir.oculusis.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=898582.
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