Should you “link” the Animal Health Brands Products to the type of animal or indication or something else?
According to the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) website, CVM, “works to support and spur the development of new technologies and approaches that address health needs across human, animal and environmental health sectors.”
Last fall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is reorganizing the Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation (ONADE) within the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) into two separate offices that will handle pre-market evaluation of originator animal products and generic drugs. The reorganization implementation was to take place on October 20, 2024.
The realignment of ONADE into the Office of New Animal Product Evaluation (ONAPE) and the Office of Generic Animal Drugs (OGAD) comes at a critical time in the animal drug review program. This reorganization will enable ONAPE to continue to build capacity to support review of new and innovative technologies, which the center sees as the future of animal agriculture and animal health products.
At the same time, the agency has seen unprecedented growth in the generic animal drug review program over the past 8-10 years. Standing up OGAD as an independent office will provide for concentrated focus for the generic animal drug program and maximize the program’s effectiveness.
One of those innovative new drug products is LIBRELA. According to the LIBRELA Client Information Sheet (librela-client-information-sheet.pdf), LIBRELA is a drug used for the control of pain associated with osteoarthritis (arthritis) in dogs. It is a commercially produced monoclonal antibody (a protein) which binds to another protein in dogs called nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF can be elevated in the joints of dogs with arthritis and is associated with the transmission of pain sensation to the brain. When LIBRELA binds to NGF, it reduces the effect of NGF. LIBRELA is given as a once-a-month subcutaneous injection (under the skin) by a veterinarian.
As a brand creative agency, we evaluate the appropriateness of a brand name used for an animal health product specifically based on fit to category (e.g., type of product, type of animal, type of therapeutic indication) and aiding in the proper product selection (e.g., does not sound-alike or look-alike other pharmaceutical drug products) as well as to avoid any misleading or promotional claim that is confusing or misbrands the product.
In the chart below, we put together a few examples of brand naming strategies that can be explored in your next branding initiative.
| Naming Strategy | Species | Name of Product | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blank Canvas but also associated with “liberated” | Canine | Librela (bedinvetmab injection) | Zoetis | Canine osteoarthritis pain relief |
| Animal Type + Type of Product | Canine | Caniotic | Bluegrass Animal Products | A probiotic that strengthens the immune system and restores good gut bacteria |
| Animal Type + Indication/Use | Horse | Equi-BuildER | Bluegrass Animal Products | Rice bran oil delivers extra cool calories without making your horse hot to handle while promoting muscle building and peak performance. |
| Indication/Use | Horse | Ulcergard (omeprazole) | Boehringer Ingelheim | An oral paste for the prevention of gastric ulcers in horses |
| Active Ingredient + Animal Type | Cat | Bexacat (bexagliflozin) | Elanco | Oral once daily tablets used to treat diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar) in cats |
| Active Ingredient | Cat | Senvelgo (velgliflozin) | Boehringer Ingelheim | Once daily oral solution used to treat diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar) in cats |
If you are getting ready to start a new branding project or need a strategy consult, please contact Brandsymbol – we are here to help.