In Japan, approximately 232,000 dogs are treated for external otitis each month, averaging 27 cases per clinic. In cases of bacterial evergrowth in the ear canal, it was recommended to use antibiotics, a practice that raises concerns about antimicrobial resistance.

It is in this context that, on March 8th and 9th, 2025, at the annual congress of the Japanese Society of Veterinary Dermatology (JSVD) in Tokyo, our Japanese teams presented our new antimicrobial-free treatment for acute canine erythemato-ceruminous otitis externa. The congress, themed "Ear Diseases – Otitis Externa, Otitis Media, and Otitis Interna", brought together veterinarians from across the country.

Leading Asian experts gathered for a scientific event

Our solution challenges the near-systematic use of antibiotics, which had been the norm until now. It was therefore crucial to support this paradigm shift with awareness and training initiatives for veterinarians. That’s why our teams undertook a pre-launch event back in December 2024, bringing together some twenty Japanese and Asian opinion leaders. The goal? To exchange on their practices and share expert presentations on otitis, its diagnosis, treatment, and the advancement that our solution provides. Pierre Jasmin, Veterinary Doctor, Global Medical and Marketing Manager, Pet Dermatology at Virbac, presented comparative studies conducted in Europe and Japan demonstrating the efficacy of our solution.

Serena Yamaga, brand manager, stated, "The pre-launch convinced key dermatologists in Japan and Asia of the need to reduce antibiotic use and its systematic redundancy for acute erythematous-ceruminous external otitis. Following this event, they were persuaded of the benefits of our antimicrobial-free alternative and recommended it to their general practitioner colleagues."

Ongoing mobilization to advance veterinary practices

To continue our support for the evolution of veterinary practices, we organized a seminar on otitis treatment strategies at the annual JSVD congress in early March. Led by Dr. Ronaldo Lucas, DVM, Dip SBDV(Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia Veterinária) , Dermatoclinica, São Paulo, Brazil, it gathered over 120 dermatologists and general practitioners eager to deepen their knowledge. Our teams plan to complement this training in the near future with a roundtable webinar featuring Dr. Lucas and three renowned Japanese experts: Dr. Osumi, Dr. Imai, and Dr. Iyori.

At Virbac, we have supported the development of modern veterinary dermatology and pioneered innovation, alongside the founding fathers of the discipline. With the introduction of new solutions in Asia, we renew our commitment to providing veterinarians worldwide with innovative solutions. This applies not only on the products’ developments side, but also developing supporting tools (our DailyDerma program) to help in the daily management of dermatological cases, for the well-being of our pets.