IHS Markit | Animal Health Weekly Briefing
FATRO emphasizes growth in companion animal market with acquisition of Quadrel
16 November 2022
Italy's FATRO has purchased a drug candidate for trypanosomatidic infections.
The company has acquired Quadrel - a collection of scientists from several European countries that were based in Modena. Quadrel owns intellectual property and patents for QL-A02 - a candidate that is part of the 7th European Framework Program. This initiative provided €7.6 million ($7.6 million) investment to 13 research centers that specialize in the field of neglected tropical diseases.
Fatro said research has shown QL-A02's very high leishmanicidal activity in mice, hamsters and dogs. A pilot study in dogs "demonstrated the high efficacy over time and reduced toxicity of QL-A02 when compared with drugs currently in use".
Financials terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Fatro said the deal plays into its One Health approach by helping it focus on developing treatments for zoonotic diseases that are transmissible from animals to humans, such as leishmaniasis.
Bologna-based FATRO said its medium-term goal is "to complete the development and registration of a formulation for the treatment of canine leishmaniasis and, in the longer term through partnerships, the development and registration of a product for the treatment of leishmaniasis in humans".
FATRO told S&P Global Animal Health the next step for QL-A02 is the completion of studies that will enable a registration dossier to be prepared and to work towards industrial production of the drug. The firm estimates the product will be ready for European approval in "just over two years".
Increased focus on pet market
The addition of QL-A02 helps boost FATRO's pipeline for the pet sector. The company has built its business around the food-producing animal market but is now engaging more in the companion animal sector - securing double-digit growth in this segment in each of the past five years.
FATRO's flagship product for companion animals is Afilaria SR, which is for the prevention of filariasis through a single annual injection by chrono-programed moxidectin delivery via a microsphere technology that is patented by FATRO. The business claimed Afilaria SR has already achieved a leading position in Italy and Spain, and "is growing rapidly not only in other Mediterranean countries where the disease is widespread but also in other European countries where prevention is not yet so widespread". FATRO said Afilaria SR will soon be available in major non-European markets.
FATRO - celebrating its 75th anniversary this year- markets its products in over 90 countries via its subsidiaries (Spain, Greece, Poland, Czechia, Argentina, Uruguay and India) and indirectly through distributors. Its portfolio spans pharmaceuticals, vaccines, feed additives and medicated premixes. FATRO is the largest animal health business based in Italy and has estimated turnover of around €200 million ($208 million).
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21 November 2022
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