Veterinary pharmacology is a branch of veterinary medicine that studies the use of drugs in animals. It focuses on the study of interactions between drugs and animal organisms and the efficacy and safety of veterinary drugs. The fields covered by veterinary pharmacology include microbiology, molecular biology, serology, biochemistry, hematology, virology, histopathology, cytology and immunology. Veterinary pharmacology also takes into account differences between animal species, as drugs may react differently in companion animals (dogs, cats), farm animals (cattle, pigs, poultry), exotic animals and wildlife.
Thus, veterinary medicines can include a wide range of pharmaceutical products, such as antibiotics, antiparasitics, analgesics, vaccines, anti-inflammatories, anesthetics and many others. Their use is essential to prevent and treat disease, control parasites, relieve pain and improve the overall health of animals.
In order to develop these products, and by adapting them to each animal species and their specific diseases, research is carried out by companies in the veterinary field to validate the following points:
- Drug efficacy in the treatment of specific diseases
- Drug safety (with the aim of limiting post-secondary effects and problematic drug interactions)
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the product in the animal organism
- Drug resistance
The results of this research contribute to the advancement of knowledge in animal health, and may also have implications for human health, particularly in terms of food safety and zoonoses (diseases transmissible from animals to humans).
Companies that are innovating in this sector are likely to be eligible for several funding programs including government grants, and SR&ED.
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