Heska Corporation Announces New Product in Allergy Therapy

LOVELAND, Colo., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Heska Corporation (NASDAQ: HSKA; "Heska"), a leading provider of advanced diagnostic and specialty products to veterinarians, announced today the expansion of its allergy franchise through a new technology.  Leveraging the intellectual property developed by Dr. Mary Morris and Associates, LLC, Heska will manufacture and market a proprietary, sublingual (administered under the tongue) therapy treatment for pets suffering with allergies.  This advance will support Heska's production for both sublingual and subcutaneous (injection) immunotherapy at their Des Moines facility and augment Heska's proprietary allergy treatment offerings.      

"As the veterinary industry leader in allergy testing and treatment, Heska now complements and expands this part of our business with more complete treatment options," commented Michael McGinley, President and Chief Operating Officer of Heska.  "Sublingual therapy offers a convenient alternative to subcutaneous injection, thereby enhancing the likelihood of pet owner compliance.  Furthermore, we worked diligently in 2011 to move our allergy immunotherapy manufacturing to our Des Moines facility and the addition of this product opportunity enhances those economic benefits.  It has been estimated that 10-15% of dogs are affected by allergic disease, and this expanded commitment to our allergy franchise is consistent with our strategy of offering valuable products in important areas of veterinary medicine."

Mary Morris MD, founder of Dr. Mary Morris and Associates, LLC, stated, "Heska's animal allergy expertise complements our human-health breakthroughs in allergy testing and treatment.  We expect Heska to use our intellectual property to introduce products that will advance allergy treatment options for the pets who share our lives."

Substantial product testing has been completed over the past three years.  Heska expects a broad product introduction to coincide with the onset of allergy season.

About Heska
Heska Corporation (NASDAQ: HSKA) sells advanced veterinary diagnostic and specialty products.  Heska's state-of-the-art offerings to its customers include diagnostic and monitoring instruments and supplies, allergy testing and treatment, as well as single use point-of-care tests, vaccines and pharmaceuticals.  The company's core focus is on the canine and feline markets where it strives to provide high value products and unparalleled customer support to veterinarians.  For further information on Heska and its products, visit the company's website at www.heska.com.

About Dr. Mary Morris and Associates, LLC  
Dr. Mary Morris and Associates, LLC developed sublingual immunotherapy to expand treatment options for allergic diseases in people and animals.  Years of experience and innovation in human allergy testing and treatment gives her a unique expertise in this emerging form of allergen immunotherapy.  Dr. Morris has been in practice at Allergy Associates of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin since 1989. 

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements regarding Heska's future financial and operating results.  These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including risks related to Heska's reliance on the technology of a  third party, Dr. Mary Morris and Associates, LLC.  There are uncertainties regarding Heska and Dr. Mary Morris and Associates' ability to successfully commercialize a new product together; uncertainties regarding Heska's ability to market, sell and distribute any such products; uncertainties regarding the performance of any such products in field use; uncertainties regarding future development in the allergy market, including but not limited to potential changes in market penetration and the impact of competing technologies; risks related to relying on the reputation of Heska, or any other entity, which is subject to interpretation and may change over time; uncertainties related to the future development efforts of any third party; and  the risks set forth in Heska's filings and future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in Heska's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

SOURCE Heska Corporation