2024 Year in Review with Cryoport Systems' Animal Health Expert, Tony Thomas

2024 Year in Review with Cryoport Systems’ Animal Health Expert, Tony Thomas

Unexpected challenges, rapid advancements, and continuous assistance – the animal health industry experienced a blend of ups and downs throughout 2024. While industry professionals faced instances of unpredictability, this year still contributed to a growing and advancing market for the health and wellness of companion and livestock animals.

We sat down with Cryoport Systems’ Executive Director of Business Development, Animal Health, Tony Thomas, to hear his perspective on the animal health industry in 2024. He shared insight about problems encountered by animal health professionals, the ways obstacles were addressed, and how Cryoport Systems remained a steadfast enabler of supply chain solutions for animal health advancement.

Challenges Faced this Past Year

The need to establish robust biosecurity protocols proved to be a prominent challenge in 2024 for the animal health industry. The highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) virus spread across the poultry and livestock markets, disrupting production schedules and creating consumer concern regarding food safety. The rapid spread of H5N1, as well as other diseases prominent in the market, disrupted trade as pausing production to implement rigid biosecurity measures became of utmost importance. This in turn affected import and export restrictions, quarantines, and surveillance protocols.

The research, development, and manufacturing of advanced therapies within the animal health industry were also challenged, as transporting these fragile therapies across international borders required extra biosecurity measures. The USDA’s Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Plan ¹ (FAD PReP) underscored early detection, containment, and enhanced response strategies as essential to mitigate potential outbreaks. However, these compliance changes didn’t happen overnight.

“The primary impact of these challenges was felt in delayed commercialization of therapies and potential inefficiencies or risk exposure through trade implications,” said Tony. “While the USDA was quick to adjust, the aftershocks persisted throughout the year.”

Addressing the Interconnected Obstacles

Disease outbreaks remain a threat to the life sciences, but the emphasis on biosecurity and increased protection provides a path towards a healthier future for both animals and humans. The Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Plan is a strong example of how the industry addressed the biosecurity challenge head-on in 2024 with the FDA’s One Health Initiative as an additional major component towards change. While established in 2007, this initiative was imperative to overcoming obstacles this past year. The One Health concept is “a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications” as a way to improve food safety, prevent outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, reduce antimicrobial-resistant infections, and protect biodiversity and conservation.² One Health emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health and how the health of one directly relates to those of another.

“One Health gave animal health professionals the ability to closely collaborate with public health officials and international organizations right when outbreaks started in 2024,” said Tony. “This collaborative approach required professionals to understand broader health frameworks and adapt their practices to align with unified strategies across human and animal health sectors.” In turn, One Health practices increased the security for livestock producers and paved the path forward for regenerative therapies production for the animal health sector despite setbacks.

Cryoport Systems’ Steadfast Support

Cryoport Systems’ emphasis on compliance and safety throughout every solution within our integrative platform was an asset to animal health professionals securing their supply chain in 2024. Our Shipping Systems are the only premier temperature-controlled shipping systems in the industry that adhere to ISO 21973 and support the compliant shipment of sensitive materials imperative to maintaining herd and livestock health. Specifically, the introduction of the Cryoport Elite® to our Shipping Systems presented the animal health industry with ultimate security when shipping temperature-sensitive high-value commodities. The Cryoport Elite® introduced to the industry the ability to re-ice without removing or tampering with the stored commodity, meaning that these shippers can be recharged throughout a multi-leg journey without disturbing the housed commodities. This capability safeguards the biosecurity of temperature-sensitive materials even for extended international shipments.

Additionally, all our Shipping Systems undergo our Veri-Clean® validated cleaning and disinfection process, which virtually removes the threat of cross-contamination by decontaminating all shippers in our fleets and stainless-steel accessories after each shipment. Veri-Clean® keeps the animal health shipments we support free from bacteria, fungi, and viruses with a 99.9999% reduction in external contaminants. This process proved an asset to the animal health industry when risk mitigation against contamination was of the upmost importance to mitigating the most prevalent challenges of 2024.

“Our support of the animal health industry assisted in establishing total compliance throughout our clients’ supply chain,” said Tony. “In a time when trust and collaboration mattered most, our services and solutions helped bring peace of mind to the protection of sensitive animal health materials.”

For more information on how Cryoport Systems’ capabilities can streamline your animal health supply chain, reach out to us on our website.

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