NexGen Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to providing safe, quality veterinary products, particularly in the field of exotic species. We spoke to COO Michael Russin about how the Company is changing the industry through innovation and a dedication to animal welfare.
Founded in 2017, NexGen Pharmaceuticals is an industry leading veterinary compounding pharmacy specialising in the overlooked niche of Minor Use Minor Species (MUMS). This covers conditions and diseases that occur infrequently and species that typically lack specific treatment option, due to their small populations. The Company focuses on hard-to-find drugs for veterinarians, zoos and wildlife handlers within the exotic and equine industry, as well as domestic animals. NexGen has made a name for itself by specializing in wildlife pharmaceuticals, including sedatives and their antagonists; providing customers with wide variety of unique options to meet their wildlife immobilisation and anaesthesia needs.
With operations led by Michael Russin, NexGen’s major USP is its collaborative approach when it comes to working with customers. The Company partners with industry leading veterinarians and wildlife specialists to develop all their formulations. Their offering has been developed out of a real market need for solutions tailored to specific animal management scenarios. By working closely with these experts, Michael and his team have gained a deep understanding of the daily challenges of those on the frontline. Further, the Company also employs what it refers to as its “feedback loop.” Regarding this process, Michael added “we’re continually reviewing our customers feedback and applying that to all aspects of our operation to continually improve our level of service.”
The Company aims to address three big problems – Limited Current Offering, Customer Service and Inconsistent Quality – which we’ll look at in more detail below.
Current Offering
Veterinary pharmaceuticals are a complex area of the industry, particularly within the exotic species segment. Understanding which drugs to use for a particular species is of the utmost importance. There is only a small subset of companies focusing on this segment, and the rest tend to do it as a non-core offering, which can often lead to a lack of knowledge and sub-optimal formulations. Until NexGen, there was a lack of options available to customers, leading to a “one size fits all” in many cases.
This is a very high-risk area that must be managed correctly. When you’re immobilising large exotic animals, it’s essential to get the dose right. Improper dosing can lead to the animal becoming agitated and trigger its fight or flight response, which can result in self-injury, capture myopathy or even death. Additionally, the risk of human injury must also be considered. NexGen offers a complete toolkit of single and combination drugs to meet specific animal management scenarios for a huge range of animals, from rats and hamsters to big cats and large exotic hoof-stock species, giving the owners of zoos, ranches, and conservation facilities much needed peace of mind that not only is their herd safe, their staff are too.
Customer Service
NexGen works tirelessly to deliver an unparalleled level of service with their 5-Star customer service approach. Because of the complexities surrounding sedating such a broad range of species, customers often need to talk to a specialist before making a purchase. NexGen aims to raise the bar on this by continually expanding their database of resources available to their customers as well as ensuring that their staff are available for consultations as necessary. Long call queues and answering systems, coupled with limited industry application knowledge as well as long wait times for deliveries has traditionally led to customer frustration.
NexGen strives to disrupt the current paradigm by having trained experts who can answer customer enquiries, along with real time order information and live updates via its proprietary software applications. The Company has a policy of a call hold time of 30 seconds or less, and it’s one of, if not the first, to offer same-day shipping of all immobilisation solutions. NexGen offers a guarantee to its customers, that if their order is placed before 3pm (and all information has been received), they will receive their goods by 10.30am the next day – a huge plus for organisations having to make crucial animal management decisions.
Quality
Because few have chosen to specialize within the industry and most have limited options due to it being a non-core offering, this is a niche that’s been rife with quality and consistency issues. NexGen is committed to excellence, and the team is consistently developing new processes and applications to ensure the highest quality products. They also have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and if there’s any aspect the customer isn’t happy with, they will go above and beyond to put it right.
To find a company so dedicated to innovation, quality and service is refreshing in itself, but it’s even more so with the news that NexGen currently only has twenty employees (with plans of rapidly expanding over the coming year). This small but mighty team includes research and development personnel, pharmacists, production technicians and customer success experts, all based on the one site at their facility just west of Fort Worth, TX. Michael Russin explained that this is a good thing; “We’re small, but this allows us to adapt. Our entire team is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest level of customer service because without our customers, we wouldn’t exist. Everyone on our team is committed to the success of the Company and wants to be here long term.”
Plans For the Future
Michael is keen to drive the business to even greater heights for the remainder of 2021/2022, and beyond. His aim is for NexGen to gain global recognition as the provider of the highest quality products in its market, which is why the Company is currently working towards full cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Processes) compliance, which far exceeds the quality standards required by the industry. To many, this would seem like a bridge too far for a company of its size, but Michael doesn’t agree: “We want to grow and step out of our comfort zones. We want to be known for producing the highest quality formulations in the industry. For too long, customers have had to worry about the quality and consistency of what they were receiving. When you’re dealing with vulnerable and endangered species, any loss is devastating. Poor quality is non-starter for us. We want to give our customers complete peace of mind that they’re getting a safe and reliable product, made by experts. Our aim is to change the landscape and raise the bar for our industry.” he said.
There are also plans to potentially expand the Company’s offering beyond the USA in the coming years. For Michael and his team, this is much more than just a job; it’s a calling. Michael has always loved animals, and he’s working hard to do his part to help protect the planet’s most vulnerable species – not just by producing safe, reliable drugs, but also by giving back. He and his team are currently in the process of establishing their own conservation fund to assist first-hand in wildlife management, habitat management, and the repopulation of vulnerable and endangered species.
To find out more about NexGen Pharmaceuticals, visit the Company’s website at https://NexGenvetrx.com/