Animal health
Boehringer Ingelheim supports Canada's agriculture sector and promotes the health and well-being of all animals. Our commitment to education and constant innovation has led us to develop groundbreaking vaccines, therapeutics, and technologies that have significantly improved the lives of both humans and animals. We proudly embrace the One Health philosophy, which explores the interconnectedness between humans, animals and the planet.
The Canadian outlook
Healthy animals are vital to the productivity, sustainability, and resiliency of our economy. The federal government has prioritized protecting our livestock to sustain and grow the agriculture sector.
The agriculture industry is a diverse, multidisciplinary sector that serves as a key driver of economic growth and prosperity in Canada.
$85B target annual export by 2025 set by the federal government, given Canada’s large and competitive livestock sector and role as an essential global food supplier.
The role of agriculture in our economy
Canada understands the critical role healthy animals play in the agriculture industry and the overall economy. The country has made significant investments in animal health and well-being. While these investments have created a positive impact, diseases in livestock continue to pose health and economic challenges that require ongoing attention and innovative solutions.
Livestock diseases causing health and economic challenges
In response to the ongoing threat of agricultural diseases, Canada has made substantial investments in vaccine development and innovative treatments. The government has contributed $19.8M towards developing vaccines to combat African Swine Fever, a disease that poses a significant risk to the country's swine population. Additionally, $5.2M has been allocated towards developing novel therapeutics and vaccines targeting regional swine influenza, swine dysentery, and Johne's disease in cattle. These investments represent a critical step towards protecting the health and well-being of Canada's livestock and securing the country's agricultural industry for future generations.
Bovine Respiratory Diseases (BRD)
Gastrointestinal Parasites
Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
Porcine Circovirus - 2 (PCV-2)
The One Health philosophy
One Health recognizes the interconnection of humans, animals, and environmental health. It promotes collaboration across multiple disciplines to address health challenges in a comprehensive and sustainable way.
As a nation, Canada is committed to the principle of One Health for improving and sustaining human, animal and environmental health. Significant investments have been made in multidisciplinary initiatives that intersect all three dimensions.
Canada’s investment in One Health initiatives includes
the following examples:
Providing funding to support globally-renowned infectious disease facilities and vaccine/therapeutic development (e.g. VIDO-InterVac).
Being the first to implement the Global Roundtable on Sustainable Beef’s framework for sourcing sustainable beef.
Developing a Federal Framework for Action focused on surveillance of trends to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), stewardship to conserve the effectiveness of existing treatments, and innovation to create new solutions across animal and human health sectors.
Expanding the number of jobs in the clean energy sector by 50% by 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the climate crisis.
Value through innovation
We have had a profound impact on the health of Canada’s animals and the vibrant agriculture sector. As one of the largest providers of animal health solutions, we’re committed to developing innovative vaccines, therapeutics, and technologies to prevent disease, improve overall health, and promote the well-being of animals. With a broad focus across the animal health lifecycle, we offer a range of products and services from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and care.
Empowering livestock owners
Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to advancing animal health by empowering animal and livestock owners while promoting education about disease prevention.
Our strong team of Technical Services Veterinarians allow us to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and challenges in animal health and transfer our knowledge to the front lines of care. We are proud to promote animal health by sponsoring the following animal health forums and educational events:
Farm Animal Well-being Forum
Avian Forum
World Rabies Day
“We very much look at our client relationships as collaborative partnerships—we’re not just drug providers, we're an educational and care resource. We often receive calls about how to manage cases because we are a trusted and valuable partner.”
Ingwersen
Veterinarian, Pet
The human and animal connection
We are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Canadians through initiatives that explore the interconnectedness between humans and animals. With our One Health focus, we aim to formalize the understanding of this interconnection and translate knowledge into tangible, real-world impact. Drawing on our deep knowledge of both animal and human health, we conduct robust translational research that leads to more precise animal models for testing the efficacy of new drugs and novel interventions for both animals and humans.
Cross-species drug development for cardiovascular health
Appreciating the similarities between the manifestation of cardiovascular disease between dogs/cats and humans (e.g. cardiomyopathy, valve diseases), we leverage research insights and drug efficacy in one species to generate health impacts in the cardiometabolic space for the other.
Collaborating to raise awareness for animal-health conditions
In addition to drug and diagnostic development, Boehringer Ingelheim partners with public sector stakeholders to raise awareness around infectious diseases and other health conditions that span the animal-human continuum.
Partnering with governments to advance surveillance and research on transboundary and emerging diseases.
Committing to eradicating rabies (a fatal zoonotic disease that can be eliminated through vaccination) by partnering with Canadian veterinarians to provide vaccines, educational support and technical services.
Working with the Canadian Animal Health Institute and veterinary schools to increase services and access to vaccines and other animal health products in remote communities.
Supporting the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Action Fund, the world’s largest public-private partnership against AMR.
Approach
A young boy named Laurent developed liver cancer and was advised by his doctor to terminate contact with his companion animals due to perceived risks of zoonotic diseases and his immunocompromised state. His mother, who also happened to be a veterinarian, disagreed due to the lack of evidence surrounding the risks.
Researchers at l’Université de Montréal spearheaded a pan-Canadian, transdisciplinary study (Projet Laurent) to determine the actual risks of zoonoses and characterize the psychosocial well-being and physical benefits of pet ownership. Phase one included studies to provide scientific evidence, and phase two consisted of interventional studies to determine best practices for pet ownership.
In 2021, Boehringer Ingelheim Canada (through its Human and Animal Health Divisions) supported Projet Laurent, joining Health Canada, the Canadian Liver Foundation and others as partners.
Outcomes and impact:
Better evidence to inform clinical decision-making
Gaining a deeper understanding of the risks and benefits of pet ownership and the animal (canine)-human interface.
New educational tools
Translating findings into training modules and decision-making tools to guide clinicians, veterinarians, patients and caregivers on best practices for animal-human interactions.
“The goal of Project Laurent is to demonstrate the tangible and evidence-based benefits of not only health, recovery and prevention of relapse but also the power of the human-animal bond from a mental and emotional support perspective.”
Ingwersen
Veterinarian, Pet