At ControlPoint Inc, we are focused on developing diagnostic tests for use in animal health that can be used by anyone, anywhere, providing fast results: Dr. Paula Walker

“Our partners in veterinary clinics will be able to provide better service to pet owners, better care to their patients, and improve their margins.”

ControlPoint Inc is a veterinary diagnostics company focused on developing tests to improve animal health. It will serve clients in the United States and other parts of the world.

The company has two key strengths — high-caliber individuals and innovative medical technology. Leveraging both strengths will bring veterinarians a fast, reliable, cost-effective diagnosis for kennel cough, enabling them to provide their patients and pet owners with the highest level of care.

ControlPoint is based in Campbell, CA.

The Silicon Review reached out to Dr. Paula Walker, founder & CEO of ControlPoint Inc, and here’s what she had to say.

Interview Highlights

Q. Why was ControlPoint born? What pain points did you set out to solve?

I am a veterinarian but have spent most of my career developing products to improve human health. I enjoy the start-up environment and wanted to go back to my roots in veterinary medicine. I established ControlPoint in 2020. 

Market research identified a segment in companion animals at the point of care. We began to work toward developing a test for the detection of canine respiratory infections (CIRDC). Most commonly known as kennel cough, CIRDC is one of the most common infections in dogs, impacting more than 5,000,000 U.S. dogs annually, yet there currently is no fast, accurate way to diagnose it. In 90% of cases, veterinarians treat dogs based on an educated guess.

At ControlPoint, we are focused on developing diagnostic tests for use in animal health that can be used by anyone, anywhere, providing fast results.

Q. How does ControlPoint empower veterinarians and improve animal health?

We have the vision to develop products that empower veterinarians and pet owners to improve our pets’ everyday life. That starts with bringing answers into the examination room at the veterinary clinic.

ControlPoint will provide the first-ever single-use test to detect multiple pathogens for kennel cough. The results will be delivered within minutes to the ControlPoint mobile app. The pet owner will receive a definitive diagnosis and the patient will receive proper treatment the same day. Our partners in veterinary clinics will be able to provide better service to pet owners, better care to their patients, and improve their margins.

Q. As you mentioned, ControlPoint is developing the first-ever single-use, disposable, hand-held test for use in veterinary clinics to aid in the detection of kennel cough. Would you like to elaborate on this a bit more?

In our market research, more than 80% of veterinarians support proceeding with the development

of the ControlPoint kennel-cough test. The most significant benefits they observed were: 1) on-site

rapid results 2) easy-to-use, and 3) testing for a wide range of pathogens. When we surveyed pet owners, over 90% want to get accurate same-day treatment for their dogs, find value in discussing test results with the vet, and are okay with waiting 10 minutes for test results. Over 70% of pet owners prefer not to give an antibiotic to their dog if it doesn’t need it.

Every veterinarian we have spoken to has said the same thing: “This is a game changer. Out of the gate, it makes it possible to provide better service to the pet owners and better care to our patients”. We have an opportunity to build the confidence of the veterinarian on how they're going to treat our pets and build the confidence of pet owners that their veterinarian is treating their pets accurately and appropriately.

Q. How does ControlPoint create and sustain a culture of innovation?

We create a culture of innovation by building a team of high-caliber individuals, creating innovative medical technology, and establishing strong relationships with third parties. All of this, in addition to staying focused on the end goal, has enabled us to make tremendous progress from the beginning of ControlPoint in 2020 as we started the pandemic.

Q. Tell us about the ControlPoint team. What value do they bring to the company?

• I have recruited high-caliber individuals who have “been there, done that” and the industry is noticing our presence. In the past two years, ControlPoint has been:
• Finalist for Digital Veterinary Summit (2021 + 2022)
• Finalist for Animal Health, Nutrition, and Technology Innovation Europe
• Finalist at Petcare Innovation Summit
• Finalist at the Point of Care & At-Home Diagnostics Summit
• Presenter at YoungStartup Ventures 3 consecutive years
• Completed the NewChip accelerator program

Q. Will ControlPoint be expanding, bringing on any new solutions that we should be aware of?

We are very excited to bring our first product to market. In 2022, our biggest milestone has been to collect real-world data that enables us to refine our algorithms and customer interface. Simultaneously, we are beginning discussions with EU distributor partners to explore a launch in Europe, and also focus on expanding the use of our product into other species. We are increasing our visibility and traction through social media to start building a brand presence in the field, so our customers will get the awareness and opportunity to use our products as soon as we launch.

Q. What's the one thing you want ControlPoint to be known for?

We have the vision to develop products that empower veterinarians and pet owners and improve our pet’s everyday life that starts with bringing answers into the examination room at the veterinary clinic. Our mission is to serve pets everywhere and our values start and end with animal health, wellness and safety. We are focused on protecting the families these animals serve and doing it at the highest quality possible.

Dr. Paula Walker | Founder & CEO

Dr. Paula Walker has over 15 years of combined experience in regulatory and clinical areas, including the design, management, and monitoring of clinical trials to support domestic (FDA) and ex-U.S. regulatory reviews of infectious disease, virology, and oncology women’s health, pharmaceutical, and molecular assays. She has contributed to strategic product development plans, business plans, and has served as a clinical subject matter expert for several cross-functional development teams. She has enabled several FDA clearances ranging from moderately-complex molecular infectious diseases and CLIA waiver applications including LIAT (Roche’s first CLIA waived point-of-care molecular in-vitro diagnostic device) and Cepheid assays (Strep A and Flu). Most recently, she obtained FDA two EUAs for Covid-19 devices and FDA clearance for a sexually transmitted infections device, both for Visby Medical.

“Our mission is to serve pets everywhere and our values start and end with animal health, wellness and safety. We are focused on protecting the families these animals serve and doing it at the highest quality possible.”