Powering Animal Health Innovation: Missouri’s Global Impact

• August 18, 2025

Missouri’s animal health industry is a global leader in veterinary pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, vaccines, and animal nutrition. Anchored by the Animal Health Corridor, which accounts for over 56% of total worldwide animal health, diagnostics, and pet food sales, Missouri-based companies export products and expertise around the world, improving livestock health, ensuring food safety, and enhancing companion animal care globally.

Home to over 300 companies generating more than $40 billion in pet food and animal health revenue annually, the Animal Health Corridor plays a pivotal role in the U.S. animal health industry.

Major firms like Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Animal Health, Nestlé Purina, and Novus International, along with innovative startups and research institutions, develop and distribute products that directly impact global food security and animal wellness. Vaccines and diagnostics developed and manufactured in Missouri help prevent and control animal diseases worldwide, reducing losses in livestock and protecting public health through zoonotic disease control.

The Kansas City Animal Health Corridor offers a unique environment where proximity fuels collaboration, enabling companies to attract top-tier scientific and technical talent who are passionate about advancing breakthroughs in both animal and human medicine. With world-class research universities, a concentration of animal health and biologics firms, and a culture of public-private partnership, the region makes it easier for companies to move discoveries from lab to market efficiently. 

Missouri’s larger agri-food sector, which includes industries like pet food, livestock feed, and food processing, overlaps with its animal health industry (which includes veterinary pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and biologics) within the Animal Health Corridor, creating synergies in R&D, supply chains, and workforce expertise.

Missouri’s 24 pet food manufacturing facilities make it a top state for pet food production, according to The American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) Pet Food Report in Pet Food Processing. The report also highlights Missouri as a leading state for farm and farm-product processing sales to pet food manufacturers, with $1.6 billion in sales.

Missouri’s animal health industry drives global animal wellness and food security, directly supported by the state’s strong agri-food sector, making Missouri a critical player in advancing global health and sustainable agriculture.