Zoetis Stands by Guidance as Pet-Care Weakness and Competition Pressure Sales

Key Points

• Zoetis maintained its revised guidance for operational revenue declining 3% to 1%, citing weaker U.S. pet-care demand, fewer veterinary visits and intensified competition in dermatology and parasiticides.
• The company is using targeted, time-limited promotions to defend market share rather than broadly cutting prices. Apoquel retained about 87% U.S. share, while parasiticide share declined roughly 1% in the latest quarter.
• Future growth opportunities include renal disease, oncology and livestock, with a potential renal treatment approval expected late next year and livestock revenue growing at a double-digit pace.

Zoetis NYSE: ZTS executives said the company remains confident in its previously issued guidance despite pressure in the U.S. companion-animal market, citing a weaker pet-care environment and intensified competition in dermatology and parasiticides.

Speaking at a Morgan Stanley conference, CEO Kristin Peck said the company’s revised operational revenue outlook of negative 3% to negative 1% reflects both industry conditions and company-specific competitive dynamics. Zoetis had previously forecast operational revenue growth of 2% to 5%.

“For the first time, we saw a declining pet care market,” Peck said, pointing to lower veterinary visits and affordability challenges for pet owners. She said parasiticides declined 6.7% industrywide, while demand has been stronger in diagnostic testing and products associated with specialty, urgent and critical care.

Targeted Promotions and Competitive Pressure

Peck characterized the company’s current pricing pressure as cyclical rather than structural. Zoetis has not broadly reduced list prices for its key dermatology and parasiticide products, she said. Instead, the company has used targeted, time-limited promotions and discounts intended to win business from customers using competing products.

“This isn’t everybody, 10% discount for anyone who wants to buy,” Peck said. “This is, you’re buying my competitor’s product today, we want to be your parasiticide of choice.”

The company began many of those targeted programs in the second quarter and made them more aggressive in the third quarter after initial promotions did not deliver the desired results. Peck said Zoetis will assess the programs each quarter and adjust their scope and intensity as needed.

She said the company is pleased with the early performance of the actions, while noting that competition can prompt responses from rivals. Zoetis is seeking to protect market share, particularly in categories where it historically held dominant positions, while also using its broad product portfolio and pipeline to support relationships with veterinarians and corporate veterinary customers.

Jay Saccaro, Zoetis’ recently appointed CFO and COO, said he was attracted to the company by its leadership position, commercial capabilities and innovation pipeline. After several weeks in the role, he said his initial observations have been “confirmatory,” including the strength of the company’s products and the engagement of its employees.

Saccaro said the company’s assumptions about market conditions are tracking as expected and that management remains confident in guidance. Zoetis plans to update investors in November.

Parasiticides, Dermatology and Product Pipeline

In parasiticides, Peck said Zoetis remains the U.S. market-share leader, with nearly twice the share of the next competitor. The company’s share declined about 1% during the prior quarter, which she described as relatively stable amid competitive activity.

Zoetis continues to see an opportunity to expand the parasiticide market by converting customers from single agents, collars and topical products to triple-combination products. International markets also remain a growth opportunity, Peck said, citing the recent launch of Simparica Trio in Brazil.

In dermatology, Zoetis faces a third entrant competing against Apoquel. Peck said the company finished the quarter with approximately 87% U.S. share for Apoquel, while acknowledging that its historically high share will decline as competitors enter. Zoetis expects an approval for long-acting Cytopoint Plus in the U.S. by year-end and continues to promote Apoquel Chewable, Apoquel and Cytopoint as a differentiated portfolio.

Peck said Apoquel’s first loss of exclusivity is expected in 2032, excluding the chewable formulation. She also highlighted an estimated 16 million untreated dogs in the U.S. with dermatological conditions as an opportunity to expand treatment.

Management expects the penetration of newly launched dermatology products to take roughly 18 months historically, though Peck said the pace could vary. Zoetis is watching both share movements and a potential recovery in the broader pet-care market to determine when promotional spending can normalize.

Renal Disease, Oncology and Livestock Growth

Zoetis identified chronic kidney disease, oncology, cardiology, anxiety, diabetes and obesity as important pipeline opportunities. Peck said renal disease is the nearest-term and largest of those opportunities, describing an approximately $3 billion addressable market.

The company has a renal product targeted for approval at the end of next year that is intended to slow disease progression, along with planned diagnostics, biomarkers and additional therapies. Peck said roughly 20% of dogs and 40% of cats develop renal or chronic kidney disease.

Zoetis also has two oncology products in its pipeline, including one management believes could become a blockbuster product, defined by the company as one with potential annual sales of $1 billion. The company expects oncology therapies will need to be suitable for use by general veterinary practitioners, in addition to specialists.

Meanwhile, livestock has produced double-digit growth this year, according to Peck. She attributed the strength partly to higher protein consumption in developed markets associated with GLP-1 medicines. Growth has extended across species, with fish and poultry the fastest-growing globally and continued strength in U.S. beef and dairy cattle.

Zoetis has also reduced list prices for Cerenia and Convenia in response to generic competition, a structural pricing action distinct from its targeted promotions in dermatology and parasiticides. Peck said the company does not expect other large products to face generic competition before 2032.

About Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS)

Zoetis Inc is a global animal health company that develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines, vaccines, diagnostic products and related services for livestock and companion animals. Its offerings are used by veterinarians, livestock producers and pet owners to prevent and treat disease, improve animal health and support productivity.

The company's product portfolio includes pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, dermatology treatments, diagnostic tests and genetic services.

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