New collaboration expands point-of-care PPID diagnostics
New collaboration expands point-of-care PPID diagnostics
Zomedica and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA are teaming up to expand point-of-care endocrine testing for horses, a move aimed squarely at earlier diagnosis and monitoring of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. In the March 18, 2026 announcement, Zomedica said its TRUFORMA platform will be integrated into Boehringer’s idPPID program, allowing participating veterinarians to run equine ACTH and insulin testing in-clinic rather than relying only on reference-lab workflows. (accessnewswire.com)
The partnership builds on Boehringer’s broader push to raise PPID awareness and standardize management resources for practitioners. Through its idPPID educational effort, the company has been promoting testing instructions, interpretation support, and management tools for veterinarians, alongside messaging that earlier recognition can improve outcomes for affected horses. That focus fits the disease burden: Boehringer says PPID is among the most common endocrine disorders in older horses, and Zomedica’s release cites prevalence of roughly 20% to 25% in horses older than 15. (animalhealth.boehringer-ingelheim.com)
The operational details matter. Under the agreement, Boehringer will reimburse participating veterinarians for diagnostic testing performed on TRUFORMA and will also continue reimbursement through Cornell University laboratory testing. Zomedica said practices can receive no-cost placement of TRUFORMA analyzers, with Boehringer covering diagnostic cartridge kits used in the program. For Zomedica, that expands the installed base for TRUFORMA and creates a pathway for practices to reorder additional equine assays, including cortisol and progesterone. For Boehringer, it adds a point-of-care option to an established PPID education and testing infrastructure. (accessnewswire.com)
The collaboration also lands after growing attention to whether stall-side endocrine testing is ready for broader clinical use. EquiManagement reported in May 2025 that University of Georgia researcher Kelsey Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, presented data showing good overall agreement between TRUFORMA’s point-of-care eACTH assay and a chemiluminescent immunoassay in horses with and without PPID. Still, the same report noted a larger negative bias in PPID horses, suggesting clinicians should be cautious about treating point-of-care numbers as interchangeable with reference-lab results in every case. (equimanagement.com)
Company statements framed the deal as both a clinical and commercial expansion. Zomedica CEO Larry Heaton called the collaboration a milestone that should accelerate TRUFORMA adoption, while Dwana Neal, executive director of U.S. Equine Business at Boehringer Ingelheim, said the goal is to help veterinarians make faster, more confident decisions. Outside the companies, Boehringer technical services veterinarian Steve Grubbs, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, has separately emphasized that PPID diagnosis should rest on the full picture, including history, physical exam, ACTH testing, and, in earlier-stage cases, TRH stimulation testing when appropriate. (accessnewswire.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about a new assay launch than about a new care-delivery model. PPID workups can be slowed by sample handling requirements, chilled shipping, and turnaround times from outside labs. A reimbursed, in-practice option could make it easier to test horses with subtle signs, revisit endocrine status during follow-up, and have treatment discussions before the horse leaves the farm or clinic. At the same time, current recommendations still call for careful interpretation: Equine Endocrinology Group guidance says insulin dysregulation should be assessed in all PPID patients, and factors such as stress, recent trailering, pain, and sedation can affect testing strategy. (equimanagement.com)
The business implications are notable, too. Zomedica reported 2025 revenue of $32 million and said the collaboration is expected to drive recurring diagnostic revenue, which suggests the company sees equine endocrinology as a meaningful growth lever for TRUFORMA. For Boehringer, which already has a strong presence in equine PPID education and treatment, adding reimbursed point-of-care diagnostics may strengthen its role across the full disease pathway, from awareness and testing to long-term management. That could make the program attractive to practices looking for a lower-friction way to bring endocrine testing in-house. (accessnewswire.com)
What to watch: The next questions are whether broader field uptake follows the reimbursement incentive, whether peer-reviewed validation data narrow remaining concerns about assay bias in PPID horses, and whether this model changes how often equine veterinarians test for PPID earlier in the disease course. If adoption is strong, the collaboration could become a template for pairing manufacturer-funded disease programs with in-clinic diagnostics. (accessnewswire.com)