On Jun. 7, 2022, Zoetis announced an agreement to acquire Basepaws, a privately held petcare genetics company, which provides pet owners with genetic tests, analytics and early health risk assessments that can help manage the health, wellness and quality of care for their pets. The acquisition will advance Zoetis’ portfolio in the precision animal health space and will inform and shape its future pipeline of petcare innovations. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

As a pioneer in petcare genetics, Basepaws offers easy to use, genetic screening tools for the early detection of disease risk in pets, as well as individualized breed and health reports that can identify traits, biomarkers and potential hereditary conditions for pets. Basepaws helps pet owners and veterinarians understand an individual pet’s risk for disease and can lead to more meaningful engagements and increased likelihood of early detection and treatment of disease.

Basepaws developed and markets a comprehensive DNA test for cats and the world’s first at-home oral health test for cats, with plans to expand into the dog market. Today, Basepaws’ genetic testing services are primarily marketed directly to pet owners in the U.S., and include its popular Breed + Health Cat DNA Test. Using its world-class feline genomic database, this test can estimate a cat’s genetic similarity to more than 21 breed types and 4 breed regions, and it provides results for over 115 known feline genetic markers — 65 markers for genetic health conditions and 50 markers for traits.

Basepaws also has one of the world’s largest feline genomic and oral microbiome databases, which is a rich resource to validate traits and health conditions for today’s cats, while also informing future research and development efforts and targets. Zoetis’ R&D organization has brought game-changing innovation to petcare over the last 10 years in dermatology, parasiticides and pain, and the Basepaws database will help refine and inform the company’s pipeline and future targets.

As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After 70 years innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide – from livestock farmers to veterinarians and pet owners.