Well friends, here we are again nearing the end of another year. It’s hard to believe 2022 is almost over. This has been a big year for VetStem, one with a lot of change but also a lot of growth; a new building, new employees, and many new opportunities to educate veterinarians and pet owners about stem cell therapy. As our last blog of the year, we like to give our readers an overview of all that has happened with VetStem in the last 12 months. So, without further ado, here is VetStem’s 2022 year in review.

• Towards the end of 2021, VetStem announced that we spun out our veterinary division, splitting off from our contract manufacturing division. With this separation, came a new corporate office. While the laboratory remains in the same buildings, our administrative offices have moved for the first time since VetStem opened their doors! Check out some pictures of the new space below.

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• In February, VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman, was invited to present stem cell data at the Global Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) Symposium. VetStem Cell Therapy has been successfully used to treat this deadly virus in multiple elephants.

• In March, we announced that we had reached an industry leading milestone: VetStem has processed over 15,000 patient samples and has provided over 35,000 stem cell treatments.

• In April, we announced our new Chief Development Officer Dr. Anne Hale. Dr. Hale has significant experience in product development and regulatory approval and has led the charge in the development of upcoming VetStem products.

• In June, Dr. Harman once again had the opportunity to present stem cell data for exotic animals. This time it was at the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM) conference. Dr. Harman discussed the use of VetStem Cell Therapy for various aquatic animals including dolphins, sea lions, and sea turtles!

• In August and October, we announced that two of our biggest proponents reached VetStem milestones. Equine vet, Dr. Martin Gardner, reached 500 VetStem cases and small animal vet, Dr. Jeff Christiansen, surpassed 225 VetStem cases.

• Also in October, Dr. Anne Hale delivered a lecture at the annual American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) conference all about the use of VetStem Cell Therapy in cats.

• Lastly, in November, Dr. Harman was invited to present about the use of real-world evidence in biological treatments at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons second annual Biologics Symposium. Though Dr. Harman officially represented our human counterpart, Personalized Stem Cells, his talk centered on his use of veterinary stem cell data from VetStem that helped guide the development of our human stem cell clinical trials.

And there you have it. Another year in the books. We thank you for your continued support, without which we couldn’t be here, improving and saving the lives of animals. We wish everyone the happiest of holidays and look forward to seeing what 2023 has in store for VetStem.

Each year on December 9^th, we celebrate International Day of Veterinary Medicine. On this day, veterinary professionals are recognized for their hard work and tremendous efforts in promoting the health and well-being of animals across the globe. Though one day is hardly enough to celebrate this dedicated group of medical professionals, we’d like to take this opportunity to discuss the impact that veterinary workers have not only on animals but on humans as well.

Veterinary medicine is not for the weak of spirit. It’s a challenging job physically, mentally, and emotionally. But most will tell you that this line of work is so incredibly rewarding, which often outweighs the challenges. Despite the human-animal bond and the growing evidence of the benefit pets can have on the health of their owners, veterinary professionals are rarely revered on the same level as human medical professionals. And yet, veterinary medicine and human medicine are much more intertwined than one might think.

Many advancements made in veterinary medicine also have a positive impact on human medicine. For instance, numerous vaccines, medications, and medical procedures have come about as a result of research in veterinary patients. In fact, we recently used our own veterinary stem cell data to launch stem cell clinical trials in people with our human company, Personalized Stem Cells.

The link between veterinary and human medicine is known as One Health. According to the CDC, “One Health is an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.” While the One Health concept has gained increasing recognition in recent years, we think it’s important to emphasize the role that veterinary professionals have played in both animal and human medicine. So though International Day of Veterinary Medicine is only celebrated for one day, we will recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments of veterinary professionals every day.

Happy National Cat Lovers’ Month! We never miss an opportunity to talk about how much we love cats. We’ve already introduced you to the VetStem Pack so for this week’s blog, we wanted to introduce you to some of the VetStem Clowder! (And if you’re curious about how VetStem Cell Therapy is being used in cats, check out this blog.)

Frankie and Puck

Frankie and Puck are two Maine Coons owned by VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman. Each one weighs 28lbs! As you can imagine, they hold their own with Mick and Gracie, the Border Collie and Aussie of the house.

Josephine’s Amazing Dreamcoat aka “Phini” and Scarf

Phini and Scarf are both Oriental Shorthairs owned by our Director of Commercial Operations, Kristi. Phini tolerates Scarf who tends to get himself into trouble. For instance, he loves eating socks. Can you tell by that goofy look on his face?

Ali’I, Keone, Squirrel, and Lilly

These four cuties are owned by Customer Service Rep, Whitney. Apparently they each hang out in different locations in the house so the only way you’d know Whitney has 4 cats is if you shake the treat can and they all come running!

Gryffin

Gryffin is a Ragdoll owned by Customer Service Manager, Veronika. According to Veronika, he’s full of cattitude and rules the roost (as he should with a face like that!)

Portia

Portia is a Manx mix owned by our Marketing Assistant, Ashley. If you so much as brush up against her, her purr machine kicks into high gear. She’s a love!