Kitty Cure

A new drug for cat leukemia

An epidemic is ravaging America's cats. About 10% of the 40 million cats in the U.S. are victims of a type of leukemia that attacks the animals' immune systems and is usually fatal. The disease, which does not affect humans or other animals, is easily transmitted among cats. For the past 2 1/2 years, Norden Laboratories, a Nebraska-based division of the SmithKline Beckman drug company, has been working on a vaccine that inhibits the growth of leukemia in cats. Says Product Manager Reynolds Davis: "If everything goes smoothly, we could have a product out in 1984." With testing nearly complete and a cure rate of 80% to 95%, Norden is working to expand production to mass-market scale.

Norden Laboratories (1982 sales: $148 million) already sells a wide variety of animal pharmaceutical products, including heartworm tablets for dogs and parasite preventives for horses. If the drug company can win Government licensing for the vaccine, it will open up an enormous new market. Cat lovers do not stint when it comes to medical care for their pets, spending about $800 million annually. Says Dr. Joan Arnoldi, president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners: "There is a need for this product. It is an excellent idea for feline fanciers of all sorts and a special boon to breeders, who often have to contend with very expensive outbreaks of the disease."

A big drawback to the wide use of the vaccine is its cost. The price could run as much as $80 per shot when administered by a veterinarian, and two or three shots will be needed for full treatment. Norden Laboratories says the high costs are needed to pay for the nearly $2 million that has gone into research for the leukemia vaccine. Still, many people are likely to consider the treatment a bargain if the cat is a champion silver-mackerel tabby worth $2,500 or a $3,000 ruddy-coated Abyssinian. Or just a favorite alley cat. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.