Novartis received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to begin marketing Deramaxx, a canine painkiller, which will be used to relieve post-operative pain in dogs. This drug being produced by a Novartis facility at Puerto Rico is the result of a development project undertaken by Novartis Animal Health that was run for several years at veterinary clinics, colleges and its manufacturing facilities.
The marketing campaign for the drug was launched in late September and veterinarian offices were the primary focus. Novartis expects to spend $25 million to market Deramaxx with a goal of reaching every veterinarian in the country in the first year. The company is banking on pet owner appeal to make this new drug a success.
