AAVPT Newsletter, July 1997

ased upon the success of the 11th Biennial Meeting, I am pleased to report that our Academy is alive and well. Although attendance was relatively modest in comparison to our sister organization, the EAVPT, there was the lively discussion between academia, the pharmaceutical industry and governmental regulatory agencies which is the "raison d'etre" of the AAVPT. Certainly the setting provided by the Asilomar Conference Center overlooking Monterey Bay contributed to the productive scientific and pleasant social activities, thanks to the organizational efforts of program chairman Rick Vulliet.

The meeting also provided the Academy with the opportunity to recognize a number of its outstanding members through a revitalized awards program. Charles Short, Professor and Head of the Department of Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, received the Lloyd E. Davis Award for significant contributions to the advancement and extension of knowledge in veterinary and comparative pharmacology over his entire career. Jim Riviere, Burroughs Welcome Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the College of Veterinary Medicine of North Carolina State University, was recognized for his important research contributions to veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics as the first recipient of the AAVPT Research Award. The AAVPT Service Award was presented to Dan Gingerich, Vice President of Research for Stolle Research and Development Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio, for his service to the AAVPT and various charitable organizations. Dan and Steve Sundlof, Director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, were recognized for their leadership of the AAVPT as presidents during 1993-1995 and 1995-1997, respectively. The AAVPT Graduate Student Award for exemplary studies in veterinary pharmacology was presented to Tomas Martin-Jimenez who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Jim Riviere's laboratory at NCSU. We thank the Hoechst-Roussel Agri-Vet Company for their previous support of the graduate student award and Monsanto and Pharmacia/Upjohn for their generous contributions to the AAVPT award program which provided an important complement to the meeting.

The Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Meeting of the AAVPT will be published in memorium to Gideon Ziv, professor of veterinary pharmacology, who passed away on November 7, 1997. Recognized internationally for his research on bovine mastitis at the Kimron Veterinary Institute in Israel, Gideon had published prolifically and lectured extensively. Wherever he traveled worldwide, he was admired and respected, both for his magnetic personality and excellence in science. Gideon was a Fellow of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics and served on the editorial board of the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He will always be remembered with a special fondness by those of us fortunate to have known him.

he new directory is in the final stages of being updated. Please, please review your information and forward any changes to our attention immediately, by phone, fax or E-mail. Also check the missing persons list elsewhere in this Newsletter and any other changes for any other member that you may happen to spot.

Please send your updated information to: Dan Gingerich Phone: 513-247-3656; Fax: 513-489-6938; E-mail dljnn5@your-net.com.

he net assets of AAVPT (combination of checking account, investment account, and the Lloyd E. Davis fund), as reported at the biennial symposium in Monterey, appeared to rise substantially over the past fiscal year. However, prior to the meeting we were unaware of around $10,000 in current liabilities. Accordingly, in reality our net assets remain roughly the same as last year, around $54,000. We will provide an updated, detailed balance sheet in the next newsletter.

s you will be reading elsewhere in this issue, our 1998 AAVPT Biennial Symposium at Asilomar Conference Center in Monterey, California was a great success. Besides having many wonderful speakers, it was a terrific networking opportunity and a pleasant location to enjoy visiting with old friends. Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Congress of the European Association for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology to be held in Jerusalem on July 30-August 3, 2000!

Although we are tracking similar to last year in dues collections, there are still about 56 people who need to pay their dues. AAVPT current membership consists of 8 Distinguished Fellows and 17 Emeritus Fellows, plus Student Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows. Of these, 5/7 Student Members have paid, 19/30 Associate Fellows have paid, and 108/146 Fellows have paid their 1998 dues. Please help improve these figures! If you haven't paid your dues, please send them in right away ($10 for Student, $20 for Associate, $35 for Fellow) to me at Pfizer, Eastern Point Rd, Groton, CT 06340.

This year, Blackwell Scientific (the publisher) is sending the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics only to those members who have actually paid for the subscriptions. To date, there are 54 paid subscriptions (one more than last year at this time), plus 19 subscriptions to people in less advantaged countries which we support. Copies of the old AAVPT Proceedings were sent to these 19 people this year, and several letters of appreciation were received in return. Please contact me if you would like a subscription to JVPT ($60) or would like any previous symposium proceedings ($5 each).

We have about $4000.00 in the checking account, but are still reimbursing appropriate expenses from the Biennial meeting. We need the remaining dues to come in, so please don't delay. The following people and corporations are thanked for contributions to the Awards funds: Gordon Coppoc, Mike Apley, Marion Ehrich, Phil Inskeep, Gary Koritz, Erwin Small, Rick Vulliet, Rainer Muser, Jack Oliver, William Kay, Ann Jernigan, Dan Gingerich, Stephen Sundlof, Deborah Kochevar, Hector Sumano, Katherine Bretzlaff, Dawn Boothe, Steve Kamerling, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and Monsanto. Pfizer Central Research and Pfizer Animal Health are thanked for their support of the 1998 AAVPT Biennial Symposium. Pfizer Central Research is thanked also for support of AAVPT for all postage (dues notices, membership votes, etc. plus envelopes) and for personnel time (A. Jernigan and secretarial staff). It takes a lot of volunteers and contributions to keep AAVPT strong. Please add your support to our efforts.

isted below are some recent changes of address. If you are aware of any additional changes, please convey them directly to Dan Gingerich and to Ann Jernigan so we can be certain that our directory will be as up to date as possible when it goes to press.

ow! The Biennial Symposium was outstanding, and a terrific mix of scientific interchange, social interaction with colleagues, and beautiful scenery inherent in the Monterey area of California. Particular thanks to Rick Vulliet and the local organizing committee for a job well done. Please refer to Rick's commentary within this issue of the newsletter for more specifics.

The AAVPT Program Committee, together with the ACVCP Program Committee, continues to focus our scientific presentations at the ACVIM Annual Forum and the AVMA Annual Meeting. In 1998, we have jointly sponsored a day-long Symposium on Evaluation of Efficacy at both the ACVIM Annual Forum in San Diego (May 1998) and at the AVMA Annual Meeting in Baltimore (July 1998). The symposiums covered a variety of topics including conduct of clinical studies; evaluation of non-approved products and indications; use of animal models to evaluate efficacy; pharmacokinetic models; and efficacy of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine drugs; and nutricueticals. Thanks to each of the speakers who provided clear, yet thought-provoking presentations that were well-received.

The AAVPT and ACVCP Program Committees have committed to organize a one-day symposium on antimicrobial resistance emergence in zoonotic food-borne pathogens and the prudent use of antimicrobials intended to maximize efficacy while minimizing the emergence of resistance at the Western Veterinary Conference (14-18 February 1999), the ACVIM Annual Forum (10-13 June 1999), and the AVMA Annual Meeting (July 1999). The Program Committee anticipates the need to spearhead additional symposia of this nature over the next two years. However, the AAVPT and ACVCP will not be financially obligated to this endeavor, but will solicit funding from external sources to underwrite the program, and will lead the program development efforts in this area.

Finally, the AAVPT Program Committee is pondering the concept of co-sponsorship of workshops with the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS). Dr. Gordon Amidon (President, AAPS) and Dr. Marilyn Martinez (AAVPT) will be discussing ways to foster the relationship and interaction over the next few months. One key factor is the identification of a topic that is of interest to both AAPS and AAVPT members.

As you can see, there are a lot of educational programs that are being fostered by the AAVPT and ACVCP. You can support these efforts by publicizing these symposia in your own organization, volunteer to participate as a organizer and/or speaker at them, and attend and participate in the symposia when they are conducted. You can contribute by your active participation. Contact Scott Brown or Mark Papich for more information.

anuscripts received, accepted, and rejected. The following table summarizes activity between January 1994 through the end of May 1998. Sometimes people ask what is the rate of rejections as though that has something to do with journal quality. I don't know if the result is good or bad, but the table provides some figures. Please note that the rate of manuscript submissions this year is rather slow.

Year	Total	Accept	Pending	Reject	% Reject
1994	54	42	3	9	16.7
1995	47	29	1	7	36.2
1996	55	36	3	16	29.1
1997	73	41	19	13	17.8
1998	16	1	14	1	6.25

Manuscripts published. The following table summarizes activity since 1994. Total publications run close to 80 each year. The European editor (Quintin McKellar) handles manuscripts submitted by authors from Europe. The American editor looks after the rest of the world, including the U.S. The fifth column is a tabulation of manuscripts that include an AAVPTmember among the author of the manuscript in question.

Year	Total	Europe	Rest of World	AAVPT	% Europe	% AAVPT
1994	76	46	30	11	60.5	14.5
1995	78	31	47	24	39.7	30.8
1996	80	46	34	12	57.5	15.0
1997	78	34	44	18	43.6	23.1
1998	32	8	24	6	25.0	18.8

In recent years the percentage of papers published from European authors has declined as more and more papers are being authored by investigators outside of Europe. Please note that the number and percentage of papers published, that include an AAVPT member among the authors, remains relatively constant.

he first-ever oxygen carrying blood substitute for dogs was approved by FDA for the treatment of anemia. Biopure Corporation developed a product that contains polymerized hemoglobin of bovine origin called Oxyglobin (R). It is a sterile solution that can be stored at room temperature with a shelf-life of 2 years and can be given without prior blood-typing or cross-matching. This product eliminates the potential for bacterial, viral or other infectious agents and the risk of transfusion reactions. It improves clinical signs associated with anemia for up to 24 hours. During this time, the measurement of PCV and RBC count are not accurate due to the dilution effects of Oxyglobin.

It was recently reported in the journal Nature that many primitive, infectious parasites (e.g., toxoplasmosis) contain an energy producing metabolic pathway identical to that in plants. This pathway in plants has been the target of many herbicides such as glyphosate. They reported that glyphosate in combination with the antibiotic pyrimethamine increased survival rates of mice infected with the parasite toxoplasmosis. With the emergence of antibiotic resistance this kind of combination therapy made be very useful in the future.

VM's Home Page on the World Wide Web (www) has moved to a new location. The new Home Page address is http://www.fda.gov/cvm. (The old address was http://www.cvm.fda.gov.)

CVM's Home Page continues to include the latest news from the Center; many guidance documents, CVM Updates, and other publications; general information about the Center; Freedom of Information summaries for recently approved new animal drugs; answers to frequently asked questions; and more.

CVM Director Dr. Stephen Sundlof has appointed Dr. Sharon R. Thompson to the newly created position of Associate Director for Veterinary Medical and International Affairs. Dr. Thompson will be responsible for managing and coordinating national and international activities on antimicrobial resistance related to drug therapy in food animals. She will lead CVM's efforts to develop an overall strategy to define scientifically-based standards for the regulation of antimicrobial products.

Although CVM is concerned that the use of antimicrobial drugs in food animals will create antimicrobial drug resistance that could contribute to drug-resistant human pathogens, CVM also believes there is a legitimate need for new antimicrobial drugs in animal agriculture. CVM believes that the development of appropriate criteria or standards for regulating such products is essential to the establishment of a stable regulatory environment covering both the approval and use of these products.

Five new members, Vernon C. Langston, Ph.D., DVM; Robert E. Holland, DVM; Wanda M. Haschek-Hock, Ph.D.; Janis L. Cleland, DVM; and Richard R. Wood, have been appointed to serve on FDA's Veterinary Advisory Committee. They replace former members Sue H.Duran, Dr. Gary Koritz, Dr. Alice Wolf, and Dr. Nancy K. Jaax.

Dr. Langston, Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, is a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, and past chairman of the United States Pharmacopeia Drug Information Division Veterinary Advisory Panel.

Dr. Holland, Associate Professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, is Animal Drug Coordinator for the North Central IR-4 Program, a project designed to facilitate approval of drugs for use in minor animal species.

Dr. Haschek-Hock, Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology,,, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, is Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, and the American Board of Toxicology.

Dr. Cleland is a small animal clinician in private practice. She is a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners; Editor for the Journal of the American Hospital Association, and past member of the AVMA's Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents.

Mr. Woods is Executive Director of the Food Animal Concerns Trust, a non-profit organization that advocates better farming practices.

AVPT members and guests enjoyed four days of sun and seascape, as well as good science at the Asilomar Conference Center located on the Monterey Peninsula June 14-18, 1998. We had over seventy-five attendees from four continents and seven countries. The congenial atmosphere and communal dining lent itself to formal and informal exchanges of scientific opinion. Unseasonably good weather, a beautiful location, and an exceptionally cordial group in attendance (as well as complimentary wine) contributed to an enjoyable experience for all. It was informative, fun and if you weren't there, you missed a good one. The proceedings will be available by the first of the year.

I would like to thank all of the program chairs and speakers for their contributions to a good meeting that kept on schedule. I would also like to thank my wife, who left a 100 degree day in Davis to sacrifice (?) her weekend on the Monterey Peninsula helping with registration. Since it is currently 100 degrees in Davis, she wants to do it again soon.

harmacia & Upjohn Animal Health is recruiting highly motivated veterinary scientists (D.V.M. or equivalent required, and advance training such as Board Certification in a clinical specialty and/or Ph.D. desired) to participate in team-directed research and development of animal health pharmaceutical products. We have openings in the areas of discovery research (in the area of preliminary evaluation of new compounds in the target species), product development (as leader of project teams directed toward product registration, and drug metabolism (specifically in the area of clinical pharmacology and pharmacokinetics). Advertisements for these positions will be forthcoming in the classified section of various scientific journals. Should you have any interest in one of these positions, please contact: Dr. Scott A. Brown, 7926-190-45, Pharmacia & Upjohn, 7000 Portage Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 [Telephone: (616) 833-2412, FAX: (616) 833-3295, E-mail: scott.a.brown@am.pnu.com].

lthough I make every possible effort to have your A.A.V.P.T. Newsletter reach you intact in a timely manner, such is not always the case, and the mail does not always go through without problems. The adhesive provided on our mailing labels is "tough stuff," but occasionally newsletters are returned to me by the U.S. Postal Service with the pre-printed address label either missing completely or damaged so as to make it not readable. Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing whose name was on such missing or badly damaged labels, and it is frustrating to be aware that some one did not receive their issue, but not know that person's identity. Consequently, if a newsletter is not delivered to you in the months of November, February or June (possibly July, depending on the date of the Annual Business Meeting), please contact me, and I will be glad to send you a replacement copy immediately upon hearing from you. Please accept my apology if you did not receive your copy, but I have no way of knowing unless you notify me about the problem. Our newsletter is a vital link in maintaining an open avenue of communication with our membership - so let's hear from you, especially if any of your issues do not reach you on schedule.

Not to belabor the point, but on a related topic, it is most important for you to keep your mailing address current in our AAVPT computer database. If you have recently moved, changed jobs, etc. please communicate this information immediately to our Secretary/Treasurer, Ann Jernigan to enable her to bring your listing up-to-date, not only to be certain that you receive all our AAVPT mailings, but also to make our soon-to-be published AAVPT Directory as accurate as possible when it goes to press in the very near future. Please respond to the plea for updated information that appears on page 1 of this issue.

Having recently returned from the Eleventh Biennial Symposium, held at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, on the Monterey Peninsula in California, I would like to add my own personal thanks to Rick Vulliet, his program committee, and his wife, Judy, for making this meeting such an enjoyable and memorable one. It is always so good to meet with old friends, make new ones, listen to interesting presentation, discuss science, swap stories relating to a wide variety of topics, and last, but most certainly not least, to recognize members for their special achievements. As an organization, we owe a debt of gratitude to, and we thank all the corporate and individual donors who supported our awards program so very generously, and made it possible for us to honor all those who have distinguished themselves in so many ways (a complete listing of all those honored appears on page 1 in the President's message).

If you have not already paid you dues for the current year, in response to the request made by our Secretary/Treasurer, please consider doing so without further delay. While you have that check book out, and pen in hand, please consider including a donation to our Awards Fund at the same time.

I would also like to remind you about, and encourage you to journey into cyberspace to visit our AAVPT homepage on the Internet's World Wide Web. Gordon Coppoc, our Webmaster, has done an outstanding job of compiling a wealth of information about our organization, along with links to other sites of interest to those in our profession. Please contact Gordon Coppoc regarding the most up-to-date URL address.

Industry: David F. Kowalczyk
Washington: Richard H. Teske
J.V.P.T.: Arthur L. Aronson
Education: Gordon L. Coppoc

The AAVPT Newsletter is published three times a year by the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Please address all correspondence pertaining to it , however, to: Dr. Carl E. Aronson, 246 Lynbrooke Road, Springfield, PA 19064-3121 [Telephone: (610) 544-4262; Fax: (610) 544-4262; E-Mail: <aronsonc@vet.upenn.edu>].

Note: Content of the Newsletter is exactly as the published version distributed by Dr.Carl Aronson. The content has been reformatted to make it appropriate for HTML-based presentaiton. GLC 7/25/98.