Pfizer finalizes acquisition of Fort Dodge

NEW YORK — Pfizer Animal Health finalized its acquisition of Wyeth's Fort Dodge Animal Health, making it the biggest player in the animal-health market. The action follows a second piece of the deal — the government-approved divestiture of certain Fort Dodge products to Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). (See related story, p. 12.)

BI picks up Duramune® vaccines for dogs, Fel-O-Vax® vaccines for cats, Rabvac® and a host of other offerings for the food-animal, equine and small-animal markets.

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Pfizer retains products like LymeVax®, Ketaset®, ProMeris®, QUEST® and West Nile-Innovator®.

According to Pfizer officials, the integration will take time but should appear seamless to its veterinarian customers. All current U.S. pricing, product distribution, programs and policies for Pfizer products, including the acquired Fort Dodge products, will remain in place for 2009, Pfizer says.

This acquisition creates a "robust portfolio" in small-animal, equine and food-animal markets, Clint Lewis, president of U.S. operations for Pfizer, tells DVM Newsmagazine. The animal-health portion of Pfizer's business is estimated at some $3.5 billion. And the acquisition will fortify its $300 million annual investment in research and development, Lewis says.

George Fennell, vice president of companion animal and equine, says the combination of these product lines will offer the company new opportunities for dedicated animal-health research.

As part of the Fort Dodge acquisition, Pfizer will close its Overland Park, Kan., facility and consolidate its veterinary research and development operations in Kalamazoo, Mich.