Animal Health Insider

In this special bonus episode of Animal Health Insider, Julie Lawless is joined by Stacey Osborn, president of Champion Petfoods, outside the company's newly opened Global Innovation and Discovery Centre in Canada. Stacey shares her perspective on what this investment means for the future of Champion, the ORIJEN and ACANA brands, and the company's continued commitment to science, innovation and premium pet nutrition. 

This episode is brought to you by Champion Petfoods. 

00:00 Welcome to Animal Health Insider
00:40 Why This New Facility Matters
02:26 How Innovation Shapes the Future of Pet Nutrition
03:15 Growing ORIJEN & ACANA Without Compromise
04:00 What's Next for Champion Petfoods?
05:00 What Stacey Wants Pet Owners to Know
05:48 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about Champion Petfoods, and its ORIJEN and ACANA brands:
Champion Petfoods | World's Best Pet Food https://championpetfoods.com/en
ACANA | Premium Pet Food for Dogs & Cats https://www.acana.com/en-US/homepage
ORIJEN | Premium Pet Food for Dogs & Cats https://www.orijenpetfoods.com/en-US/homepage

About Animal Health Insider    
🎧 Animal Health Insider brings you behind the scenes of the animal health industry with insights from the leaders, innovators, and dealmakers shaping what’s next. Subscribe today!  Learn more.  

If you work in #AnimalHealth, #Veterinary, #Biotech, #Agtech, #Sustainability, #Investment, or #PublicPolicy, subscribe for sharper context and real insight from the people on the inside of the industry. 
🌐 Learn more at https://www.lawlesscomms.com/podcast/ 

LawlessComms 
Ready to build industry influence and engage employees through strategic communications made for Animal Health? We’re here to help. 
🌐 https://www.lawlesscomms.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielawless 

Stonehaven Transactions 
With decades of commercial and legal experience in M&A and other transactions in the animal health sector, Stonehaven Transactions guides small and large life science companies and investors through buy-side or sell-side transactions, license deals and commercial collaborations, ensuring value maximization, a seamless process, optimized synergies, and long-term growth. 
🌐 https://sc.group/transactions/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-beatrice-vos-4184201 

S&P Global Animal Health 
Beyond the headlines, S&P Global Animal Health provides expert insights for your animal health business. 
🌐 https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/industries/agriculture/animal-health 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-harvey-08109916

How much science and curiosity go into a bowl of premium pet food? More than most people ever see.

Animal Health Insider goes on location at Champion Petfoods’ new Global Innovation and Discovery Centre just outside Edmonton, Canada, for a rare peek inside the company’s high-tech Kitchens—and the ideas being cooked up there.

Host Julie Lawless sits down with Jeff Johnston, head of Research and Innovation, to explore how the maker of ORIJEN and ACANA is combining fresh and raw ingredients, rigorous science and a real passion to keep pushing pet nutrition forward.

From the partnerships behind every ingredient to the testing that turns promising ideas into meaningful advances, Jeff shares how Champion is investing in what’s next—and why the future of pet food is taking shape inside these Kitchens right now.

00:00 Welcome to Animal Health Insider
01:56 Champion Petfoods’ 40-Year History & Biologically Appropriate Nutrition
04:37 Why Fresh & Raw Ingredients Matter
07:22 Building Long-Term Supplier Partnerships
10:08 Food Safety - by Design
13:36 Inside Champion's Research & Innovation Team
20:08 Research Partnerships Driving Pet Nutrition Science
23:14 The "What If" Innovation Philosophy
25:09 Why Failing Fast Fuels Better Products
27:47 Accelerating Innovation Without Cutting Corners
29:05 The Future of ORIJEN, ACANA & Champion Petfoods
31:14 Champion's Passion for Better Pet Food
33:10 Quick Take: Jeff Johnston Outside of Work
35:05 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about our episode sponsor, Champion Petfoods, and its ORIJEN and ACANA brands:
Champion Petfoods | World's Best Pet Food https://championpetfoods.com/en
ACANA | Premium Pet Food for Dogs & Cats https://www.acana.com/en-US/homepage
ORIJEN | Premium Pet Food for Dogs & Cats https://www.orijenpetfoods.com/en-US/homepage

About Animal Health Insider    
🎧 Animal Health Insider brings you behind the scenes of the animal health industry with insights from the leaders, innovators, and dealmakers shaping what’s next. Subscribe today!  Learn more.  

If you work in #AnimalHealth, #Veterinary, #Biotech, #Agtech, #Sustainability, #Investment, or #PublicPolicy, subscribe for sharper context and real insight from the people on the inside of the industry. 
🌐 Learn more at https://www.lawlesscomms.com/podcast/ 

LawlessComms 
Ready to build industry influence and engage employees through strategic communications made for Animal Health? We’re here to help. 
🌐 https://www.lawlesscomms.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielawless 

Stonehaven Transactions 
With decades of commercial and legal experience in M&A and other transactions in the animal health sector, Stonehaven Transactions guides small and large life science companies and investors through buy-side or sell-side transactions, license deals and commercial collaborations, ensuring value maximization, a seamless process, optimized synergies, and long-term growth. 
🌐 https://sc.group/transactions/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-beatrice-vos-4184201 

S&P Global Animal Health 
Beyond the headlines, S&P Global Animal Health provides expert insights for your animal health business. 
🌐 https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/industries/agriculture/animal-health 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-harvey-08109916

In this exclusive episode of Animal Health Insider, host Julie Lawless and Dr. Beatrice Vos sit down with Jack Bendheim, then chairman, president and CEO of Phibro Animal Health, as he was preparing for a major leadership transition: stepping into the role of executive chairman as his son, Dani Bendheim, became president and CEO.

The result is a rare, personal conversation about legacy, family business and what it means to lead a company through decades of industry change. Jack reflects on his journey with Phibro since 1969, the values that have shaped the company’s culture and the deep sense of responsibility that comes with building a business where people stay, grow and feel part of something bigger.

He also shares his perspective on Phibro’s momentum, the company's acquisitions, the practical realities of serving production animal customers and the forces shaping the future of animal health - from protein demand and sustainability to affordability and AI.
It is a candid and timely conversation with one of animal health’s most enduring leaders, recorded at a pivotal moment for Jack, Dani and Phibro’s next era.

00:00 Welcome to Animal Health Insider
00:11 The Insiders: Phibro's Growth & Industry Leadership
04:39 Why Food Animal Health Is Gaining Momentum
08:15 Jack Bendheim's Legacy at Phibro
10:33 Building a Family-First Company Culture
14:36 Passing the Leadership Torch to the Next Generation
16:16 Looking Ahead: The Future of Protein & Animal Health
17:36 Five Decades of Change in Animal Health
19:29 What's Next for Companion Animal Health?
22:12 Phibro's Growth Strategy
24:26 Preserving Company Culture Through Succession
25:59 Lessons From a Lifetime in Animal Health
27:36 Closing Thoughts

About Animal Health Insider    
🎧 Animal Health Insider brings you behind the scenes of the animal health industry with insights from the leaders, innovators, and dealmakers shaping what’s next. Subscribe today!  Learn more.  

If you work in #AnimalHealth, #Veterinary, #Biotech, #Agtech, #Sustainability, #Investment, or #PublicPolicy, subscribe for sharper context and real insight from the people on the inside of the industry. 
🌐 Learn more at https://www.lawlesscomms.com/podcast/ 

LawlessComms 
Ready to build industry influence and engage employees through strategic communications made for Animal Health? We’re here to help. 
🌐 https://www.lawlesscomms.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielawless 

Stonehaven Transactions 
With decades of commercial and legal experience in M&A and other transactions in the animal health sector, Stonehaven Transactions guides small and large life science companies and investors through buy-side or sell-side transactions, license deals and commercial collaborations, ensuring value maximization, a seamless process, optimized synergies, and long-term growth. 
🌐 https://sc.group/transactions/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-beatrice-vos-4184201 

S&P Global Animal Health 
Beyond the headlines, S&P Global Animal Health provides expert insights for your animal health business. 
🌐 https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/industries/agriculture/animal-health 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-harvey-08109916

In this episode, host Julie Lawless sits down with Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit, for an update on BE-101, the company’s first-of-its-kind probiotic vectored antibody biologic designed to address necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens, reducing the use of antibiotics.
We grabbed the opportunity to speak with Aaron in March as BE-101 was moving through the final stages toward potential USDA conditional licensure. Since then, BiomEdit has continued to build momentum, securing foundational patents for its engineered probiotic delivery platform, which directly supports BE-101 and future pipeline products. The company also announced it will relocate its research operations to the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute facilities this summer, giving the team access to state-of-the-art laboratory space, translational research capabilities and a strong network of academic and industry partners.

In this conversation, Aaron explains how BE-101 works, what makes its regulatory pathway different, and why the product could represent an important new class of precision biologics for animal health. He also discusses the data behind the program, the importance of reducing mortality and improving performance in broilers, and what commercialization could look like as BiomEdit moves closer to the market.

#AnimalHealth #Poultry #Biotech #Microbiome #Innovation #Sustainability

About Animal Health Insider    
🎧 Animal Health Insider brings you behind the scenes of the animal health industry with insights from the leaders, innovators, and dealmakers shaping what’s next. Subscribe today!  Learn more.  

00:00 Welcome Back: An Update on lead program, BE-101
00:39 What Is BE-101 and How Does It Work?
01:52 Progress Toward USDA Conditional Licensure
03:48 Navigating a First-of-Its-Kind Regulatory Pathway
05:30 New Data on Mortality, Feed Conversion & Weight Gain
06:32 Why Poultry Producers Should Care
07:06 What's Next for BiomEdit?
07:50 Closing Thoughts

About Animal Health Insider 
Animal Health Insider takes you behind the scenes of the Animal Health industry. Each episode starts with conversation from the “Insiders,” followed by in-depth conversations with the leaders and disruptors shaping what’s next. 

If you work in #AnimalHealth, #Veterinary, #Biotech, #Agtech, #Sustainability, #Investment, or #PublicPolicy, subscribe for sharper context and real insight from the people on the inside of the industry. 
🌐 Learn more at https://www.lawlesscomms.com/podcast/ 

LawlessComms 
Ready to build industry influence and engage employees through strategic communications made for Animal Health? We’re here to help. 
🌐 https://www.lawlesscomms.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielawless 

Stonehaven Transactions 
With decades of commercial and legal experience in M&A and other transactions in the animal health sector, Stonehaven Transactions guides small and large life science companies and investors through buy-side or sell-side transactions, license deals and commercial collaborations, ensuring value maximization, a seamless process, optimized synergies, and long-term growth. 
🌐 https://sc.group/transactions/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-beatrice-vos-4184201 

S&P Global Animal Health 
Beyond the headlines, S&P Global Animal Health provides expert insights for your animal health business. 
🌐 https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/industries/agriculture/animal-health 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-harvey-08109916

In this episode, host Julie Lawless and industry insider Dr. Beatrice Vos speak with Dr. Natalie Marks, a nationally recognized veterinarian, board member, chief veterinary officer, strategic advisor and CEO of VANE, the Veterinary Angel Network of Entrepreneurs. In this episode, Natalie shares how VANE is helping early-stage animal health companies access smart capital, strategic guidance and a growing network of veterinarians, executives, investors and industry experts. 

She also discusses what VANE looks for in founders, where she sees momentum across the Animal Health investment landscape, and why stronger collaboration can help bring meaningful innovation to veterinarians, pet parents, producers and animals faster. #AnimalHealth #Veterinary #Pets #Innovation #Investment #StartUps  

 And as always, our Insiders (Dr. Beatrice Vos, Joseph Harvey and Julie Lawless) give you their hot takes – this time on investing and investment in Animal Health.   

About Animal Health Insider    
🎧 Animal Health Insider brings you behind the scenes of the animal health industry with insights from the leaders, innovators, and dealmakers shaping what’s next. Subscribe today!  Learn more.  
  
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About LawlessComms 

Ready to build industry influence and engage employees through strategic communications made for Animal Health and Nutrition? We’re here to help.  

🌐 https://www.lawlesscomms.com/ 

LinkedIn: JulieLawless 

 

About Stonehaven Transactions 

With decades of commercial and legal experience in M&A and other transactions in the animal health sector, Stonehaven Transactions guides small and large life science companies and investors through buy-side or sell-side transactions, license deals and commercial collaborations, ensuring value maximization, a seamless process, optimized synergies, and long-term growth.    

🌐 https://sc.group/transactions/ 

LinkedIn: DrBeatriceVos 

 
S&P Global Animal Health 
Beyond the headlines, S&P Global Animal Health provides expert insights for your animal health business.   
🌐 https://www.spglobal.com/   
LinkedIn: Joseph Harvey