AHEAD IN ANIMAL HEALTH
update November 2021 - No. 2
ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS
Our academy and experts are more than willing to help
PARTICIPATING IN PROJECTS
Sharing and acquiring knowledge
INTERESTING INTERVIEW
The importance of monitoring
The range of poultry vaccines
CHANGE IS GOOD Infectious Bronchitis (IB) Disease Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro Disease) Newcastle Disease (ND)
PROTECTION EVOLVED
Ask your vet for information now. Dechra Veterinary Products / Wilgenweg 7 / 3421 TV Oudewater The Netherlands / +31 (0) 348 563 434 / info.nl@dechra.com www.dechra.nl
PROTECTION EVOLVED
foreword
LAND IN SIGHT I have the honour to be on the first page of this Update to introduce myself, as I have recently joined GD. After having had a great 20+y ears career as a veterinarian in animal pharma, in roles varying from local technical support to European marketing and business management, the time for me had come to give rudder, change course and get some new wind in my sails. Since May 1st I am Head of Business Development within GD. With a small crew of highly dedicated people, we are responsible for shaping the international ambitions of GD, by creating new partnerships with distributors, veterinarians, integrations, local authorities and universities and by bringing new GD products to the international market. Although the GD ship is sailing Dutch waters for over a century now, we have only been crossing seas to new countries for some 20 years.
New destinations are still on our map however, trying to establish new trade and discovering new things to bring back home. I am very happy to have embarked and really would like to meet you and see what GD can do for you. Either in disease monitoring programs for cattle, poultry and pigs, or eradication/control programs, or consultancy, to help increase the profitability of your business or that of your customers. Either if it involves diagnostic assistance or delivery of antigens and sera, on the spot consultancy, training veterinarians and farmers or designing complete programs, we can provide all these services and products to you. Hopefully we can lower the sails and drop the anchors in your harbour soon, so we can design the navigation plans for our next - joint - voyage.
Klaas van Aken, Head of Business Development
content 04 Working together: Dechra
CONTACT INFORMATION ROYAL GD If you want to know more about what GD can do for you, please contact one of our staff members, responsible for international sales:
Klaas van Aken
Berend Oosterhuis
Head Business Development k.v.aken@gdanimalhealth.com
Director of Contract Research & Consulting
05 Sharing knowledge and acquiring knowledge in Europe
b.oosterhuis@gddiergezondheid.nl
Eveline Peereboom
Mattheus Hekman
Business manager e.peereboom@ gdanimalhealth.com
Area sales manager m.hekman@ gdanimalhealth.com
Jarno Smit
Anita Morelisse
Area sales manager GD Academy j.smit@gdanimalhealth.com
Coordinator GD Academy a.morelisse@ gdanimalhealth.com
Annemiek Kolkman
Fanny Nieuwenhuis
Area sales manager a.kolkman@ gdanimalhealth.com
Senior account manager f.nieuwenhuis@ gdanimalhealth.com
Frank Huis in ‘t Veld
06 Focusing on monitoring: the impor04
08 Introducing new distributor Colombia: an alliance abroad
09 Analysis of biomarkers 10 GD Academy: achieving your goals 06
Sales support support@gdanimalhealth.com
Monique Kleinlugtenbeld Sales support support@gdanimalhealth.com
Ellen Koetsier Sales support support@gdanimalhealth.com
Phone In the Netherlands 0900-1770, abroad +31 (0)570-633391 E-mail info@gdanimalhealth.com Website www.gdanimalhealth.com Mail address GD P.O. Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer, the Netherlands Editor Update Anne Taverne Delivery address for samples and post mortem material Royal GD, Attn. CMD, Rigastraat 25, 7418 EW Deventer, the Netherlands
tance of a network
11 News and communications 12 GD specialist: Eveline Peereboom
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Update, November 2021 - 3
interview
Yoni Pasman, freelance editor
Vaccine development with the support of GD Developing state-of-the-art vaccines is not a single-company job. In the development process of the Avishield® vaccines, Royal GD supported Dechra Pharmaceuticals throughout all the stages. This collaboration will enhance poultry health in several countries, and expansion is on the cards. Matthias Riedel explains on behalf of Dechra why GD has become an essential partner in developing one of their latest products. “I’m originally a cattle vet. In my current position as Business Manager Cattle and Vaccine products, I am responsible for marketing of cattle and vaccine products for farm animals”, he explains.
“But I like the scientific part of it. The way I understand marketing is that sometimes science is complicated, so I try to adjust the essence into a more comprehensive message without falsifying it. That’s my line of work.” Development and consultation Dechra has a long history in developing veterinary pharmaceutical products and has expanded their business to several countries in Europe. The Adriatic region is very important to Dechra as the Avishield® vaccines are produced at the Dechra facility in Croatia. Dechra reached out to GD for the Avishield® launch, says Fanny Nieuwenhuis (Senior Account Manager Contract Research at GD). It’s not the first time that the two parties have worked together. This time, the collaboration was intended to support Dechra customers with diagnostic tests to screen their poultry flocks. By using a tailor-made form, customers can easily submit samples from European member states. And it goes further than that, Matthias explains. “The Contract Research team of GD can help us set up and execute the research projects needed to register a vaccine in the European Union, while also supporting our R&D and marketing team. They have the scientific know-how to help us make informed decisions.” Keen on knowledge The collaboration between Dechra and GD is not just about contract research and diagnostic support. As Dechra’s goal is to make products that are relevant and necessary in the field, GD’s knowledge and world-wide network comes in handy. “The experts at GD are also familiar with the field situation in many regions and can therefore also advise us on the latest trends and developments. They offer us knowledge we don’t have in-house.” GD also trains our sales staff to learn the more technical parts of our work and supports us with scientific knowledge that we apply to keep our website up to date. And of course, GD will be playing an important role in the future. “When we develop a new vaccine, we call expert Sjaak de Wit, for example, to ask which types we should include. This is so valuable, having someone in the field whom you can ask for advice.” Expanding their collaboration is something Matthias definitely foresees in the future. “We have always had strong ties. It makes sense to collaborate with GD.”
4 - Update, November 2021
projects
European collaboration: sharing and acquiring knowledge It is useful to acquire new knowledge, but it is also effective to share and argument that knowledge. We therefore regularly participate in international collaborations, like COST Actions. This has provided us with insight into the Irish approach to BVD, for example. Gerdien van Schaik and Inge Santman-Berends tell us more about this. Within Europe, GD undertakes a variety of forms of collaboration. This may be aimed at the development of new methodologies, while other projects may focus on the sharing of knowledge and encouraging collaboration, so-called COST Actions. GD is involved in two such projects: “STOC free and SOUND control,” Gerdien explains. SOUND control “SOUND control (Standardizing OUtput-based surveillance to control cattle Diseases of cattle in the EU) is a COST Action in which we look at the possibilities to evaluate the results of various animal disease control programmes in an output-based manner,” Inge continues. “Each country has its own control programme for endemic diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) for example, tailored to the local situation.” The variety in control programmes results in a variety of disease statuses which are all referred to as being ‘free’. The definition of the BVD free status in the Netherlands differs from that definition in Ireland, for example. In this project, the basic question was: ‘How can we compare these ‘free’ statuses?’ Inge: “We are aiming to move towards output-based surveillance. This means that we want to stimulate initiatives that focus on the outputs of differently designed control programmes instead of prescribing the design of control programmes. We very much stimulate southern and eastern European countries to participate, to share knowledge and experiences. In this project, which is chaired by GD, 33 countries collaborate to reach mutual agreements on the
definitions of output based surveillance, the data that is needed, the methods to be used and future perspectives. It is relevant to learn from each others control programme and understand the reasons why these programmes were designed in a certain manner”. STOC free Gerdien van Schaik (GD and UU) coordinated the technical STOC free project (Surveillance Tool for Outcome-based Comparison of FREEdom from infection) which is financed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and by public organizations in the countries concerned, including the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Safety. “In this project we examine how we could determine freedom from infection with BVD. BVD, a disease with a complex ethology, was used as an example to find out how we can assess the BVDV-free herd status in the six countries involved. That proved to be challenging,” Gerdien explains. “We were able to develop a model at the herd level, as that is the most relevant for BVD. Because GD is extensively involved in to control of BVD in the Netherlands, it was a logical choice to participate in this project.” Networking is key More than one hundred researchers from more than thirty countries were involved in these two projects. “The first step towards sharing knowledge was successful,” says Gerdien. “And knowledge sharing is exactly the point of such projects. We can learn from each other and when you are aware of how other countries fare, you recognise the importance of looking further afield.” Inge agrees. “This is an informal way of establishing many contacts. There lies the strength of these projects; such contacts will persist even after the projects are complete. It’s all about sharing knowledge and acquiring knowledge.” MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE PROJECTS WWW.STOCFREE.EU OR WWW.SOUND-CONTROL.EU
Update, November 2021 - 5
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Important net Together we are stronger and we know more. That’s why it’s important that various organisations cooperate to monitor animal health. Within the Netherlands but also further afield. An extensive network has developed over the years, which continues to grow. Animal health monitoring in the Netherlands is an initiative of the government and livestock farming sector; the parties involved jointly determine the form it takes. This cooperation between private and public parties is one of the success factors of the monitoring process. And also extremely important. We exchange a great deal of knowledge with other parties (supplementary knowledge and for example alternative laboratory technology) for absolute maximum benefits. Human and veterinary parties work together under the principle of ‘One Health’. This
allows us to take timely measures in the event of zoonoses, pathogens which are transferable from animals to people. Priority is given to the protection of the health of humans and animals. International cooperation Although we do our very best here, animal diseases do not stop at the national borders. That’s why in its research and knowledge exchange activities, GD cooperates with a broad and steadily growing international network of researchers and laboratories. Thanks to this exchange, monitoring information can be placed in a broader framework, thus improving the chances of early detection of new disorders and giving insight into the best possible response. Jolianne Rijks and George Caldow (who work for parties with which GD cooperates), can tell us more about the importance of international cooperation.
Jolianne Rijks, researcher at the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC)
“OUR FIELD NETWORK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT” “The core task of the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC) is to detect and investigate diseases among wild animals in the Netherlands. A central task lies in acquiring and effectively using knowledge of wild animal diseases. We conduct pathological examinations on dead wild animals; this is general surveillance rather than being focused on any particular disease. DWHC is government financed. We tend to mainly investigate extraordinary mortality cases: high numbers or strange circumstances of deaths. Pathology and histology point us in the direction of specific diseases. Our cooperation with other organisations, including GD, becomes important in the follow-up diagnostics. We also conduct specific surveillance for avian influenza in dead wild birds. Twice a year, we draw up an inventory of the diseases detected by the organisations who monitor wildlife. The findings are then shared by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
6 - Update, November 2021
This network resembles a relay run as it were; it starts with the eyes of the people working in the field and their willingness to cooperate. The cooperation with organisations such as GD is important, also with a view to interpretation of signals. We can only study a relatively small number of animals each year, but GD has experience with epidemiological models which give us added insight into the actual problem. The importance of such cooperation became very evident in 2020 when there was a major avian influenza outbreak, when we collected extra samples from mustelids in order to monitor them for SARS-COV-2 and when we discovered our first beaver suffering from tularemia. When a zoonosis is discovered, it is important that the medical world is well-informed, via the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). After all, the health status of wildlife is a very important indicator of the health of the ecosystem as a whole. Partly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing awareness that monitoring of the health of wild animals deserves attention alongside monitoring of the health of people and farmed animals.”
monitoring
twork George Caldow, head of Veterinary Services at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
“COOPERATION IS CRUCIAL FOR THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE AND ANIMALS” “Alongside our agricultural education, around 10 to 15 percent of our work entails the provision of veterinary services. We undertake research into animal diseases on behalf of the Scottish government, including the promotion of animal welfare and combating zoonoses. We also monitor wild animals, paying attention to AI and the West Nile virus, for example. The monitoring of wild animals is therefore important both from the livestock farming perspective but also with a view to the One Health concept. We need to be aware of the role played by livestock, wildlife and people in each other’s health. Our monitoring is mainly driven by the importance of animal health, though in actual fact it is important to all three. The health and populations of wild animals are indicators of the general health of an ecosystem. In Scotland and the United Kingdom, a network of organisations gathers all data on the monitored animal diseases. The national government then reports this information to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). High-pathogenic AI in migratory birds played an important role in 2020. We discovered a number of clusters and were faced with a few outbreaks among Scottish poultry farms. The situation was more problematic further south, where there is a more sizeable poultry farming sector. Mink farming has been prohibited for
many years here, so we have not been confronted with SARS-COV-2 issues. In Scotland, we also investigate crimes against wild animals. Birds of prey are regularly killed, often by people with a vested interest in the hunting sector, which is of economic importance here. We gather any evidence and prosecute people where possible. I believe that our future challenges lie in the changing public opinion on livestock farming and the impact of that sector on the environment and on wild animals. As far as our monitoring is concerned, this may mean that the health of wild animals will play a greater role as an indicator for the health of the ecosystem as a whole. GD and SRUC are important partners within the existing European Veterinary Surveillance Network; relationships which we are looking to develop. Animal health monitoring is much more effective when everyone involved can contribute and share information. Without such openness, we would struggle to satisfactorily combat infectious diseases. Our cooperation is crucial for the health of people and animals alike.”
Update, November 2021 - 7
interview
INTRODUCING NEW DISTRIBUTOR LABORATORIA IDC
An alliance abroad Together we are stronger. And that’s why we reach out to others for their knowledge and to share ours. Royal GD is establishing an international distribution network. We recently added another important party to our list: the Colombian Laboratorio IDC. Luis Carlos Monroy, our distributor in Colombia, tells us more about the collaboration. Laboratorio IDC opened its doors in 2012 and has several business units related to animal health. It currently processes samples from birds, pigs, cattle, horses and soon from family pets such as dogs and cats. Microbiology, serology, histopathology, molecular biology and food quality control is the main focus. In 2020, 55,000 samples were processed from all productive areas of Colombia. Since the end of that year, the laboratory is the Colombian representative for Royal GD.
Luis Carlos Monroy
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Strategic allies “GD offers interlaboratory tests (PTS) and antigens that are used for the validation and quality assurance of the methods in the diagnostic laboratories”, says Monroy. “It also helps with setting things up, like the implementation of ISO 17025, registered with the Colombian Agricultural Institute (health authority in Colombia).” He likes to see GD as a strategic ally in the diagnosis of diseases, by means of its laboratory services. “This is an important and crucial player offering consultancy and advisory services for producers of protein of animal origin, thanks to its great experience worldwide.” From client to representative The collaboration started when Laboratorio IDC was a PTS client. “We subsequently learned about the quality of GD’s portfolio of services and products. We had conducted a market study in which we proved that the Colombian veterinary laboratories wanted to strengthen their management systems and that’s why we were keen to represent GD in the Colombian market.” In order to inform customers of the benefits of the collaboration with GD, they designed a commercial strategy. It includes prospecting for clients, digital marketing, mailings, social media and training. “In July we held a webinar on PTS by Dr. De Wit, which was a total success in terms of attendance and participation. GD provided an expert and we offered our local knowledge with personal customer service by the technical and commercial staff of the IDC laboratory.” Common goals In the future, Monroy sees the IDC-GD alliance, as he calls the collaboration, as very useful for producers and official and private laboratories in Colombia. “We want Royal GD to be the leading provider of PTS, antigens and the first option for the complete diagnosis of diseases, as well as our ally in training, consulting and advising Colombian producers. Together we can move forward for valid and reliable results, better animal health and an increased profitability for customers.”
biomarkers
Analysis of biomarkers at GD
At Royal GD we can help you in studying the effect of various products on the health and wellbeing of animals. An important tool for this purpose is the use of biomarkers. We offer a large range of biomarkers through its routine diagnostic services. Our biomarkers are developed to measure the stress level, the acute phase response as well as the metabolic or nutritional status of animals. With a view to the above, think in terms of the analysis of acute phase proteins, biomarkers related to bone metabolism and panels related to energy, protein and mineral metabolism.
GD offers possibilities to map out the degree of stress and the inflammatory response in sows around parturition. Laboratory tests can be used for this purpose, applied to samples taken from sows around 24 hours after parturition. These tests determine the level of cortisol in hair and the levels of cortisol, chromogranin A and haptoglobin in the sow’s saliva. The underlying thought is that minimum stress and the lack of a severe inflammatory response contribute to easier farrowing, healthier piglets and better well-being of the sows. Moreover, the collection of saliva and hair is a non-invasive and animal-friendly method of sampling.
And recently, we have added a number of new biomarkers to our portfolio: cortisol in hair and saliva samples of pigs, and the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum samples of cows. We are currently still working on the development of the chromogranin A and haptoglobin biomarkers in porcine saliva samples. The new biomarkers for pigs aid in determining stress levels and the inflammatory response of sows around parturition. Low stress levels as well as the absence of a severe inflammatory response contribute to an easier farrowing process and better well-being of the sows. Cortisol can be determined in hair and saliva samples. Both types of samples are easy to collect through non-invasive methods. The other new biomarker is the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) for cows. Il-6 is an inflammatory cytokine that is produced during an acute phase response in the body. Its serum concentration is increased in the course of various infectious and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, increased serum IL-6-concentrations before parturition have a predictive value for the risk of developing post-partum diseases in transition dairy cows. INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? CONTACT US THROUGH INFO@GDANIMALHEALTH.COM OR YOUR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Update, November 2021 - 9
academy
Let us help you achieve your goals GD Academy is our education institute and can provide you with the latest information for your area of expertise and make you stand out from the crowd. We offer custom-made courses related to animal diseases and also courses on the implementation of veterinary diagnostics lab test methods. Our training programmes focus on pigs, cattle, poultry, sheep and goats. The animal health experts discuss current topics and make the transition from theory to practice. This makes the acquired knowledge immediately applicable. Our experts also provide lectures and keynotes all over the world to share our knowledge. Interactive and custom made We offer interactive training programmes with classroom sessions and farm visits, allowing you to discuss specific cases or subjects with our experts. You can also compile your own custom-made programme at the basic or advanced level. Our offer • Training in the Netherlands or in your country • Live or online training, e-learning modules • Development of e-learning modules • Full proficiency in English or Dutch; translation possible • Included: programme development and execution, learning materials, basic catering (refreshments and lunch), certificate of attendance, access to our digital learning environment • Optional: additional excursions, specific speakers, dinner and/or specific catering, transport, overnight stay Postgraduate course Poultry Health Science Also good to know: the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University and Royal GD are offering a postgraduate course for veterinarians and postgraduates in Life Sciences who work in poultry in a scientific or leading position. The course is called Poultry Health Science and aims to train academic pro-
10 - Update, November 2021
fessionals working in poultry health and production to become internationally recognized experts in integral poultry healthcare. The first two modules on the infectious bronchitis virus and avianmycoplasmosis have already drawn many poultry veterinarians and other professionals from all over the world. Next in line is module 3 on Escherichia coli which starts on 17 January 2022 and will be followed by modules Avian Influenza, Enterococci and Streptococci, antibiotics and coccidiosis. If you are interested in attending one of these modules or if you would like to know more about the course, please visit www.uu.nl/en/ professionals/programmes/poultry-health-science. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION VIA GDACADEMY@GDANIMALHEALTH.COM OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE
news & communications
Remote consultancy
Update on mink study
We are always pleased to be able to provide support. Not only training courses but also consultancy is ideal for that purpose. GD staff member Harold van der Heijden recently provided remote consultancy, for example. This marked a collaboration with Changrong China, for whom we have mapped out the PCR activities. While the COVID period has caused a great deal of misery, it has also greatly enhanced the possibilities for remote working. The first session was held online, in which we requested that the activities be defined wherever possible by means of photos and videos. Harold was then able to make suggestions for improvements, based on that footage. So what’s next? We are offering a training course in lab techniques and will help them improve their internal control system. And so we each do what we do best and help each other.
In April 2020, GD discovered a natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in minks for the first time worldwide. During the subsequent period, we were not only intensively involved in monitoring this virus among minks, but also in the related study, conducted in close collaboration with Utrecht University, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Erasmus MC and WBVR. The study showed that the virus had been transferred from people to minks, but also that the virus from infected minks was transferred back to people. However, the virus strains discovered at the mink farms were virtually unheard of outside the mink sector. This means that there was no great distribution from the mink sector to the rest of the population. No airborne virus was discovered in the direct vicinity of the mink farms, even though there was a strong virus concentration close to the cages of the infected animals. The conclusion was that there was no increased risk of infection for local residents and passers-by, though employees at the infected farms were at risk and therefore needed to take the appropriate safety measures. Mink prohibition earlier than planned Partly due to the persistent new infections and the concern that minx might possibly form a virus reservoir, the Dutch government decided to implement the prohibition on mink farming in the Netherlands earlier than planned, on 8 January 2021. With hindsight, we know that the infections were spread regionally, though even extensive studies could not clarify the exact manner of transfer between the various farms.
MORE INFORMATION WWW.GDANIMALHEALTH.COM/CONSULTANCY
New distributors in 2021 This year we have found several new distributors for all our products and services. We would like to introduce: • • • • •
Guangzhou Vetbio Co. Ltd, China Laboratorio IDC, Investigación, Diagnóstico y Calidad, Colombia PT. Ela Karsa Utama, Indonesia Anand Animal Health Pvt. Ltd., India On Point Diagnostics (Pty) Ltd, South Africa
Our distributors serve laboratories and integrations on a high technical level and can add value to our products and services locally. INTERESTED OR WANT TO KNOW MORE? WWW.GDANIMALHEALTH.COM/DISTRIBUTORS
European monitoring of antimicrobial resistance The monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens of animals is currently not coordinated at European level. To fill this gap, experts of the European Union Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (EU-JAMRAI) recommended building the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance network in Veterinary medicine (EARS-Vet). Therefore the national monitoring systems for AMR in bacterial pathogens of animals among 27 countries affiliated to EU-JAMRAI were identified, their structures and operations described and their respective strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analyzed. This provided useful information, which was published in an article to which our GD colleagues Jobke van Hout and Annet Heuvelink have contributed.
Let’s go digital In these times of digital media, we publish the Update magazine on paper as well as online. Do you prefer to read the magazine online? Please send your email address to support@gdanimalhealth.com and we will send you our future Updates digitally! And did you know that we also publish newsletters? Feel free to subscribe via our website.
Update, November 2021 - 11
GD specialist: Eveline Peereboom The Royal GD specialists’ daily work is focused on expanding and sharing their extensive knowledge of animal diseases. As Business Manager of the Contract Research and Consulting unit, Eveline Peereboom is responsible for CRC projects of International Key Accounts within the pharmaceutical, feed and feed additive companies. “I’ve always enjoyed working with customers.” Eveline has seen many changes at Royal GD. That suits her just fine, as she herself is also always developing. “When I joined GD, internationalisation was just beginning. It was still on a very small scale. Poultry was already well known internationally, but the other departments still had some growing to do.” Having worked solo to maintain customer relationships in the early days, she is now part of a team of seven. “International customers are now finding their way to us.” Seeking opportunities Thanks to the wide range of services and products delivered, GD has become a leading organisation in animal health and research. “It is important to continue to seek opportunities to expand these services.” That expansion certainly also works in practice. The number of projects within GD has risen sharply in recent years. “We became GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) certified three years ago. In addition to efficacy and marketing studies, this enabled us to conduct safety studies.” GD is now also equipped to conduct Good Clinical Practice (GCP) studies in the field. “Thanks to our good relationships with the livestock farmers, veterinary practices, pharmaceutical and animal feed industry, we can continuously look for new opportunities to meet the needs of our customers.” Besides monitoring animal health in the Netherlands, it is becoming increasingly important to also optimise animal health abroad, Eveline says. “Partly due to the training courses, consultancy and the presence at trade fairs and conferences, the knowledge of GD specialists is broadened and transferred internationally and appreciated by customers.” Sharing knowledge and experience Eveline has developed her own network over the course of her sixteen years at GD. “It’s always nice to meet up with people, either online or offline. I have great memories of conversations with our clients.” One of the developments particularly close to her heart is that of GD Academy. “What began as foreign clients expressing their interest in our knowledge has since grown to become an extremely educational and practical training facility.” As far as Eveline is concerned, GD will continue to look for new developments in the years to come. “I’ve no doubt that there is a whole new market for products and services which we can provide. Playing the role of partner in the establishment of monitoring in other countries, the human pharmaceutical industry or the qualification of laboratories, for example. But I also particularly hope that we can be there for our clients, both digitally and at conferences, for example. I’m certainly looking forward to meeting our clients again in person.”
P.O. Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer, the Netherlands, T. +31 570 633 391 www.gdanimalhealth.com, info@gdanimalhealth.com
