Pet medicine developer Aratana Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:PETX) said its ENTYCE appetite stimulation drug for dogs will be released later than previously expected.
The company said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had requested more information in connection with Aratana's request to transfer the manufacturing of ENTYCE to a new party, to ensure it could be produced in commercial quantities.
The company said ENTYCE is now slated for release in late 2017.
In the meantime, the company intends to continue to focus its commercial resources on NOCITA, its local post-operative anaesthetic for dogs.
NOCITA was released in the second half of 2016. The company said it is focusing on gaining access to the several hundred surgeons who frequently perform cranial cruciate ligament surgery on dogs/
This effort has required, and is likely to continue to require, significant effort by its sales force given the longer sales cycle than what the company would expect with a general practice product.
The company is also conducting additional clinical work in other surgical procedures to potentially expand the label for NOCITA in dogs.
Shares in Aratana slumped 15% to US$6.81 on the news.