April 17-19, 2012

Those working to develop long-acting non-surgical contraceptives and permanent sterilants for cats and dogs grapple with a vital question for our field: do technologies exist to deliver an agent over an extended period of time, or in multiple discrete doses, with just a single treatment? ACC&D convened this Think Tank to delve into the potential of depot and implant technologies to control the delivery of chemical, immunological, or biological agents in the search for a non-surgical sterilant for cats and dogs.

Experts in drug delivery, precision manufacturing, FDA regulatory procedures, and dog and cat reproductive biology came together aiming to arrive at an understanding of the state of the art in the areas of controlled release, discuss how these technologies might be used to deliver potential non-surgical sterilants, and gain insight into technologies on the horizon. (You can view attendee bios here.)

The final report summarized Think Tank conclusions and has been an important contribution to this field. As David A. Brake, PhD, Founder and Principal of BioQuest Associates, LLC, noted:

“One of the most important knowledge gaps in companion animal non-surgical contraception is not the absence of drug or vaccine antigen candidates but rather how to best optimize delivery of these lead candidates to the animal in a manner that is safe and efficacious. This ACC&D scientific Think Tank meeting summary does a great job of identifying current and next generation delivery technologies that could be leveraged to close this knowledge gap.”

Thank you to the Found Animals Foundation and the Animal Assistance Foundation for sponsoring this Think Tank!