Ex-KindredBio chief to manage 'transformative' Australian start-up in US
By Joseph Harvey
Published: 17 February 2015 12:44 PM
Australian firm Integrated Animal Health (IAH) will locate its North American headquarters and commercial operations in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor.
The Queensland, Australia-based business has appointed Dr Blake Hawley to oversee its North American operations. Dr Hawley has assumed the role of North American chief executive with the aim of growing the company's global product lines.
Dr Hawley formerly worked for US pet therapeutics start-up Kindred Biosciences, which he joined in April 2014. There, he had the role of chief commercial officer.
He has also previously held several positions for Hill's Pet Nutrition: general manager of Australasia; regional general manager of Russia and Central Eastern Europe; and managing director of the UK and Ireland.
Dr Hawley has experience in therapeutics markets, consumer marketing, profit and loss responsibilities, international markets and social marketing. Whilst at Hill's he oversaw products competing in the companion animal arthritis, dermatology, obesity, gastrointestinal, urinary and cancer markets. IAH not a usual start-up
IAH was formed after three companies – Mastitis Management Australia, Equine Ergogenics Australia and Veterinary Research Australia – amalgamated to become Integrated Animal Health in December 2013 and incorporated during February 2014.
Dr Hawley said: "IAH is like a family, which is not atypical for a start-up. However, while we are like a small company, we have a pipeline like a big company. The level of innovation and the pace of innovation are unique.
"Innovation can get stifled at big companies. That is not what this company is about; we are commercialization specialists."
Dr Hawley suggested IAH is distinctive as there are many animal health start-ups focused solely on companion animal products. However, there is a dearth of small firms dedicated to food-producing animal technology innovation.
"There are companies coming into the marketplace which look at companion animals and think this is where the big dollars are, and they are right. But, there is a huge need for increased protein globally at the moment and we need solutions that can reduce the use of antibiotics. There is a world of opportunities.
He said there is currently a low amount of novel ideas in the food-producing animal sector and IAH can inject the "transformative innovation and affordable breakthrough technology" the industry needs.
"We don't need an IPO strategy and we don't think we need any funding. We're not looking for those big dollars yet; we are filling a void with long-term holistic solutions." Wide portfolio across multiple species
IAH has commercialized over 70 products including natural oral tick and fly repellents for use in the cattle feedlot industry.
The firm originally focused on developing equine feed and performance products. However, this emphasis has broadened to incorporate many different products for livestock.
IAH's portfolio also consists of mastitis management technology, weight gain products, drug delivery tools and a pipeline including oral vaccine technology for companion animals. In October 2014, IAH told Animal Pharm it aims to commercialize oxycodone patch technology for treating pain in animals.
The business currently has 16 employees and has sales in excess of $3 million.
The firm's core strategy has been to identify difficult-to-deliver compounds that have already demonstrated safety and efficacy in human health and to develop non-therapeutics for feed chain animals and companion animals.
IAH's business model is designed to out-license and partner its technologies for separate species and territories globally. Dr Hawley said IAH will adopt this licencing approach in the US. "Next step is a big step"
Dr Hawley added: "The next step for the company is a big step. Australia is a hot-bed and testing ground for innovation, but now we are going global.
"The KC Animal Health Corridor is the best place in the world for us to be because of the sheer concentration of companies there; more than 300, big and small. We should see explosive growth here."
IAH will add key hires in the coming months and will identify a permanent KC Corridor office location by the end of summer 2015.
Rob Neely, chief executive of IAH, said: "After attending the 2014 Homecoming event we knew that the KC Animal Health Corridor was the ideal location to establish Integrated Animal Health’s North American presence, and grow our product lines globally."
Pleased to see Rob & Lisa's gelding 'Noosa Heads' get his first win up today. Always been fed IAH Feeds & Supplements
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9:19 PM - 28 Mar 2015
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