EQUESTRIAN CAREERS
IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR...
Aniwell
WE MEET THE FAMILY BEHIND THE ANIWELL BRAND AND DISCOVER HOW THEY HAVE BUILT A SUCCESFUL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OVER THE LAST NEAR-HALF CENTURY.
R
obin Sinclair qualified as a Pharmaceutical Chemist in 1961. He is the developer and managing director of Robin Pharmaceuticals Ltd, NZ, of which Aniwell is a division. He has also been registered as a Pharmacist in Mt Gambier, Australia and the UK, where he was a locum in Oxford. Robin comes from an era of Chemists who mixed ointments, creams and capsules to doctors’ prescriptions, therefore having an in-depth knowledge of how ingredients work together to form creams, ointments or liquids. Robin has been developing and manufacturing topical skin
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Samantha Sinclair and 25-year-old Murielle
preparations for animals and human use (Dermatological issues) for over fifty years. He had an interest in developing and manufacturing topical products for the Veterinary industry and had been making Paral Eardrops for dogs and cats – drops for ear mites and medicated animal shampoos, after hours of his regular Pharmacy work. In 1975 Robin was engaged by the NZ Veterinary Wholesalers to produce a covering cream to combat the clinical effects of facial eczema with a cream to protect the skin of cattle and sheep. FiltaBac begins 1975 Facial eczema is caused by the absorption of the toxins from the fungus (Pithomyces chartarum) appearing in the grass during times of warm humid weather. When this fungus is ingested by cattle and sheep, the toxins from the fungi are isolated by the liver and create a photosensitive-reaction – intense photosensitivity, which causes severe irritation, inflammation and pain to any exposed lightly pigmented or
sparsely haired skin, resulting in peeling, weeping and severe damage to teats and udders. This happens to such an extent in dairy cows that it is impossible to milk the cow. The traditional application (1960-70) was a black cream or ointment. Robin rationalised that due to the photosensitivity, a breathable cream (not an occlusive ointment), should be reflective not absorbent to protect the underlying tissue. FiltaBac was developed and is used extensively throughout the dairy industry in NZ to this day. Aniwell brand grows from FiltaBac FiltaBac was joined by FiltaClear, specifically developed for any animals with sensitive skins and AMHVet with active manuka honey. This product was developed after Robin was initially involved with Professor Peter Molan, from the Honey Research Institute at Waikato University, developing irradiated
active manuka honey dressings to be used on chronic wounds in compromised patients in the 1990’s. Samantha Sinclair Joins the family business “I started my working career as a Veterinary nurse in a small and large animal practice. I then trained in New Zealand as a Registered Nurse where I went on to specialise in Intensive Care, Renal Dialysis and in the last six years of practice a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Diabetes. In Australia I specialised in diabetic wound care and educating other health workers in managing
