"Janssen Animal Health is a business franchise within Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium, a part of Johnson & Johnson
It specialises in the development and marketing of pharmaceutical products for the veterinary profession. The company offers a comprehensive line of mainly antiparasitic products for treatment of companion animals as well as farm animals. In most European countries, in South Africa and in Canada, the JAH products are available through the Janssen Animal Health marketing organisation, while in other countries the products are distributed by other veterinary oriented pharmaceutical companies."
Janssen Animal Health is the originating company of four major anthelmintics used in domestic animals: levamisole; mebendazole, flubendazole and closantel."
Among the thousands of compounds tested by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical
Research & Development (J&J PRD)
each year, many have turned out to be of practical value in treating
animals. Janssen Animal Health has developed antiparasitics for livestock,
poultry and pet animals and antifungals to treat ringworm and other fungal
skin infections in animals.
Antiparasitics
Since
the discovery of the worming agents tetramisole (in 1964) and levamisole
a whole range of antiparasitics and dewormers has been developed and marketed
on a worldwide scale for livestock and household pets. The benzimidazoles
(such as FLUBENOL®) are very safe oral dewormers
for horses, sheep, dogs, cats, pigs and poultry. After treatment with
the systemic antiparasitic closantel, liver flukes and blood-sucking roundworms
are eliminated in sheep and cattle.
The current flagship product is the in-feed anticoccidial diclazuril (CLINACOX®) for the control of coccidiosis, a very common parasitic disease in poultry.
Antifungals
To
combat ringworm in cattle, horses and dogs, enilconazole
was developed for application on the animal's skin. A polyvalent drop
formulation containing a.o. the antifungal miconazole is marketed for
topical treatment of skin infections and otitis in dogs and cats. CLINAFARM®
smoke and spray is available for the elimination of fungi and spores in
the animals' environment, such as livestock buildings, kennels and hatcheries,
Other innovative animal health medicines are the sedative azaperone, to combat stress in pigs, and a wound-healing topical gel for horses, which counteracts proud flesh formation. Products are even developed for the forgotten minorities, such as single tablet antiparasitics for pigeons (APPERTEX®, L-SPARTAKON®, SPARTRIX®).
Janssen Animal Health continues to search for better and safer medicines. Various promising new compounds are still under development.