Zoetis Inc. is a US-based animal health company that develops medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and services for companion animals and livestock. Spun out of Pfizer in 2013, it operates globally and is the world’s largest producer of animal medicines and vaccines.
Before joining Zoetis in 2016, you worked in a human-focused medtech company. What do you see as the sharp contrasts between working in human versus animal health?
I’m a microbiologist by training; the first decade of my career was in science before I moved into more commercial roles, focused largely on human medical devices. While there are clear similarities – both industries are science-based, require strong project management, and value deep customer relationships – the contrasts are what stand out.
Animal health feels uniquely purpose-led. On the livestock side, it’s about how you sustainably feed an ever-growing population while maintaining animal welfare. On the pet side, it’s about that human-animal bond. Additionally, animal health is much more B2B — you’re working directly with veterinarians or producers, rather than within medical, insurance, or procurement systems — and that close partnership is something I’ve appreciated and enjoyed in my nearly ten years in animal health.
Zoetis spans both companion animals and livestock, each with distinct health challenges and demand drivers. How do those differences influence your R&D priorities today?
Historically, animal health was seen as a livestock business, and only in the last five to ten years — with the rise of the human-animal bond — has the pet side accelerated so strongly. On the livestock side, prevention is a huge focus: developing new vaccines, new ways to deliver them, and, where prevention isn’t possible, looking at treatment, including antibiotic alternatives. We also have a heavy focus on genetics and how we support that through AI. Both sides are purpose-driven, and from a One Health perspective, animal health is deeply connected to human health. Zoonotic disease highlights how important that connection is, and continuing to reinforce a One Health approach is critical.
Prevention is always better than a cure. We promote responsible antibiotic use when necessary, but prevention supports healthy animals, improves sustainability, and increases overall health. Our focus is on ensuring we cover all core vaccines — whether for salmon, cattle, poultry, or pork — alongside continued innovation, genetics, and herd health.
Around 20% of livestock is lost to disease, at a cost of $300 billion per year to producers, so focusing on prevention is how we support protein production for a growing global population and how we continue to partner with customers worldwide.
Population growth and changing diets are reshaping demand across food systems worldwide. How are those pressures playing out in livestock production today?
We face a global population moving toward 10 billion, and the demand for nutritious, affordable, high-quality protein will only increase. The middle class want higher-protein diets. Combined, these trends are increasing pressure on global protein systems. The sector is resilient, but we need to play a key role with producers by bringing new technology, the right support, and strong prevention strategies as diseases emerge or re-emerge.
That means focusing on sustainable protein production. Prevention programs help produce healthier animals, which are more productive, use fewer resources, and improve animal welfare. Diseased animals also generate higher greenhouse gas emissions, so good prevention reduces environmental impact, supports economics for producers, and helps ensure consumers can access quality protein at the right price — as we’ve seen with avian influenza impacting egg prices. We recently recieved conditional licenses for avian flu vaccines for both dairy cattle and chickens in the US, and received conditional approval for the first parasite control product to prevent and treat for New World Screwworm in the US. Continuing to bring forward vaccines, support herd health, and use AI, genetics, and diagnostics to enable more tailored approaches is critical.
Animal health markets vary widely by species and production system around the world. How does that shape where Zoetis operates and how it supports customers globally?
We work with a global supply chain network and support farmers and veterinarians in every market, adapting our approach depending on the dominant species in each region. We operate 23 facilities globally and use sites for multiple purposes, which helps with capacity planning. That global footprint gives us resilience and flexibility, allowing us to meet customer demand regardless of geography. From a livestock perspective, the focus remains on innovation and on maintaining strong global supply chains to support our customers. We don’t prioritise a single species — instead, we look at the right programs by species.
In beef and dairy, the US, Brazil, Australia, and South Africa are among our largest markets. In pork, the US remains important, but many Asian markets are major producers. We continue to innovate in poultry, expand vector vaccines, and bring our Procerta range to more producers and veterinarians worldwide. We’ve also launched and are expanding a new mycoplasma vaccine offering in cattle, Protivity. In aquaculture, salmon production is concentrated in Norway and Chile. Poultry is more dispersed across the US, Brazil, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
