The PRRS-CAP Integrated Program Project is issuing its final Request For Proposals (RFP) under the current Program Project. The RFP and evaluation criteria are available at http://www.porkboard.org/prrs/rfps.asp. The deadline for proposals is 5:00pm Thursday, October 6th, 2005. PRRS-CAP funding emphasizes multi-institutional, novel, collaborative research that addresses underlying problems and mechanisms important to the control and elimination of PRRS.
Monthly Archives: September 2005
AASV Industrial Partners submissions due October 1
Companies wishing to participate in the Industrial Partners sessions at the AASV 2006 Annual Meeting must submit their request to the AASV office by October 1. The Industrial Partners sessions take place on Sunday, March 5, and provide an opportunity for commercial representatives to make a 15-minute presentation of a technical, educational nature to the meeting attendees. Requests for participation must include:
People on the Move: Dr. Rika Jolie
As a result of her position with Pfizer Animal Health – Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Dr. Rika Jolie is moving from Lincoln, Nebraska to Kalamazoo, Michigan, effective September 26. Updated contact information for Dr. Jolie is available at http://www.aasv.org/members/only/directory.php. Are you on the move? If so, let us know at aasv@aasv.org.
FDA Issues Proposed Regulations to Implement the Minor Use and Minor Species Act
The Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004 (MUMS act) amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) to establish new regulatory procedures that provide incentives intended to make more drugs legally available to veterinarians and animal owners for the treatment of minor animal species and uncommon diseases in major animal species. On September 27, 2005, FDA issued proposed regulations to implement the act. These regulations propose procedures for designating a new animal drug as a minor use or minor species drug. Such designation establishes eligibility for the incentives provided by the MUMS act.
PRRS Database for Sequence Comparison is Available Online
The database, created under the direction of Kay Faaberg at the University of Minnesota, with funding support from the National Pork Board, contains more than 4,000 ORF5 sequences from PRRS isolates. Additional isolate information includes geographic origin, year of isolation, RFLP type and predicted glycosylation pattern.
Feed-grade Bacteriophages Used to Treat E. coli
Elanco Animal Health and an Indian company GangaGen Biotechnologies have signed an agreement to market an alternative treatment for E. coli infections in cattle. The technology uses bacteriophages developed by GangaGen. Reportedly Elanco plans to invest $5 million to incorporate the benign viruses into cattle feed supplements. Cattle trials will be conducted in Canada in 2006 and the drug will be launched there by mid-2007.
Canadian Swine Identification System
Canadian swine producers are reviewing the first draft of a proposal for swine identification that will become part of a national livestock identification and tracking system designed to identify the origin of livestock during a foreign animal disease outbreak. The multispecies national system, overseen by the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency, will be comprised of unique commodity-based programs.
Pig Tissues Used in Human Joint Replacements
Revivicor Inc., a Blacksburg, VA company specializing in harvesting pig organs for human transplant, has announced that it will supply tissues (cartilage, tendons, bone and ligaments) from cloned pigs for use in human joint repairs. The company has entered into an agreement with Zimmer Holdings Inc. of Warsaw, IN which will supply the tissues to hospitals if approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
FDA Commissioner Resigns
Dr. Lester Crawford, confirmed as Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just two months ago, abruptly announced his resignation on Friday stating that it was time for him to step aside. The resignation was effective immediately. The White House named the National Cancer Institute’s director, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, a surgeon, to be the agency’s new acting commissioner.
SafePork 2005 Meeting Review
The SafePork 2005 6th International Symposium on the Epidemiology and Control of Foodborne Pathogens in Pork was held on September 6-9, in Rohnert Park, CA. A total of 98 papers were presented (67 oral presentations and 31 poster presentations). This meeting review by Dr. Marcos Rostagno provides a summary of some of the important information presented during the meeting.