ABOUT MEDICAL ETHICS
Pioneering the Future of Animal Welfare
Specialists in pain mitigation and wound care technology
Medical Ethics was founded by a paediatric pain physician and a commercial innovator in animal health, united by a precise clinical observation: from the moment of injury, there is a window of uncontrolled pain that systemic analgesia cannot reach. That window, the analgesic gap, was the founding insight behind Tri-Solfen and the entire Solfen-Tech® platform.
The company exists to close that gap across global livestock production, by embedding pain mitigation into the regulatory frameworks, veterinary standards, and supply-chain compliance requirements that govern how animals are managed worldwide.
We operate through a single integrated model: evidence generation aligned to regulatory outcomes, regulatory strategy anchored to policy inclusion, and commercial execution structured as a licensing-led platform that scales without operational complexity.
THE VISION
Make livestock pain mitigation a regulated global standard of care.
OUR Mission
Build and scale the Solfen-Tech® platform through regulatory integration, policy inclusion, and assurance alignment, grounded in the scientific evidence that the analgesic gap is real, measurable, and closeable.
How We Operate
Five principles govern every market entry, every research investment, and every partner relationship. They are not preferences—they are the operating rules that ensure our platform remains coherent, defensible, and focused as it scales.
Follow the regulatory path
We only enter markets where we have a clear pathway to regulatory approval. Commercial opportunity without regulatory readiness does not drive our capital allocation.
Require policy outcomes
Research investment is directed exclusively toward evidence that enables regulatory submissions, guideline inclusion, or policy engagement. Our science is always purposeful.
Build partnerships early
We identify and structure licensing relationships ahead of regulatory milestones, ensuring that commercial deployment begins the moment approval is granted.
Retain control, license execution
IP ownership, brand governance, and regulatory strategy remain firmly with Medical Ethics. Our partners execute commercial distribution within clearly defined parameters.
Scale without operations
We grow by licensing market rights to qualified partners—not by building traditional sales forces. This keeps the company capital-efficient and hyper-focused on our core regulatory strategy.
OUR HISTORY
Two decades of science, commercial breakthrough, and global expansion
THE EXECUTIVE TEAM
Leadership Team
Allan Giffard
Co-Founder and Managing Director
Allan Giffard is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Medical Ethics. Under his leadership, Medical Ethics developed and commercialised Tri-Solfen, the first and only globally available topical pain and wound management platform technology for animals, built on the company’s proprietary Solfen-Tech platform. The platform now spans multiple formulations, including Tri-Solfen, Multi-Solfen and Equi-Solfen, with regulatory approvals across ten markets, four species and eleven indications, and has supported the treatment of more than 220 million animals worldwide.
Allan led the landmark commercial partnership with Dechra Pharmaceuticals, which secured cornerstone investment and international licensing for the platform and accelerated the company’s global registration programme. He has also driven the establishment of sister company Medi-Solfen Pty Ltd, which is advancing the same multi-modal anaesthetic platform into human health, with Phase II clinical work completed in 2025. His focus throughout has been translating science into practical, workable welfare outcomes for animals, producers and veterinarians.
Dr Patrick Page
Consulting Director of Clinical Development
Dr Patrick Page serves as Consulting Director of Clinical Development to Medical Ethics in an external consulting capacity.
He is a specialist veterinarian with more than 20 years of experience in Equine Internal Medicine across academia and private practice, as well as veterinary industry experience in research and development, notably with Bayer AH. His career spans senior managerial and team leadership roles across South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, including responsibility for regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and clinical development functions, and membership of senior leadership and regional development teams within the animal health sector.
A graduate of the University of Pretoria, Dr Page brings deep clinical and scientific rigour to Medical Ethics’ clinical development programmes as a consulting adviser, supporting the evidence base behind the Solfen-Tech platform across species and indications.
Ira Jordan
Director of Product Operations
Ira Jordan is Director of Product Operations at Medical Ethics, leading the planning and direction of new product development and regulatory affairs across the company’s portfolio. A results-driven health professional with an extensive background in product development and regulatory strategy, Ira plays a central role in progressing Solfen-Tech formulations through the development pipeline and into registration across global markets. Ira holds qualifications from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and brings a disciplined, execution-focused approach to managing the operational and regulatory pathways that bring the company’s products to market.
Vacant
Commercial Director
The Commercial Director role is currently vacant. Commercial responsibilities are being managed on an interim basis by Allan Giffard, Co-Founder and Managing Director. Medical Ethics welcomes expressions of interest from individuals with relevant expertise in animal health, commercial strategy, market access and international product commercialisation as the company considers its future commercial leadership requirements.
Chantalle Elliott
Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications
Chantalle Elliott is Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Medical Ethics, where she leads the full corporate affairs and communications function across the company’s global markets. Her remit spans strategic communications, brand and digital presence, stakeholder engagement and market access mandate for Region 2 (Procedural Markets) covering Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, the EU, Portugal, the UK, Canada and the USA. She also sits on the company’s Scientific Advisory Committee, connecting the science of animal welfare to its commercial and policy significance.
Operating at the intersection of regulatory, scientific, commercial and communications domains, Chantalle builds the strategy, governance and execution infrastructure that supports the company’s Regulatory to Policy to Revenue approach. She is known for translating complex technical and welfare science into clear, credible communications for partners, regulators, veterinarians and producers.
Dean Schultz
Director of Finance
Dean Schultz serves as Director of Finance for Medical Ethics, bringing specialist corporate and taxation expertise to the company’s growth and international expansion. A Partner at Melbourne advisory firm Ascent Advisory, Dean is a business advisor with deep proficiency in the needs of complex privately owned groups, particularly in growth, business restructures and the structuring of acquisitions and exits. His experience extends to multinational operations and the structuring and ongoing governance of their activities in Australia. At Medical Ethics, he oversees the financial function underpinning the company’s market access, partnership and registration activities across its global markets, bringing enterprise-grade financial capability to the business in a pragmatic, advisory-led way.
ADVISORY BOARD
Scientific Advisory Team
Dr. Meredith Sheil
Co-Founder & Scientific Expert Advisor
Specialist paediatrician and inventor of Tri-Solfen®. Thirty years of clinical experience including paediatric cardiac intensive care, wound management, and pain mitigation. MBBS and PhD from Sydney University. Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Over 18 years in primary production, animal husbandry, and wool production.
Prof. Peter Windsor
Veterinarian Research Advisor
Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney. Registered specialist veterinary surgeon in New South Wales. Holds BVSc (Hons), PhD, DVSc and diploma from the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management. Codeveloperof Tri-Solfen® research programme.
Prof. George Stillwell
University of Lisbon, Portugal
Professor of Animal Production and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon. Leading researcher in cattle welfare, lameness, and pain assessment. Co-author of multiple peer-reviewed studies on the use of topical local anaesthesia in cattle procedures. Principal investigator on the University of Lisbon collaboration investigating Tri-Solfen® for foot ulcer treatment in dairy cattle.
Dr. Delia Lacasta
University of Zaragoza, Spain
Lecturer at the University of Zaragoza, Department of Animal Pathology, and Director of the Clinical Service for Small Ruminants (SCRUM) at the University's Veterinary Hospital. DVM, PhD, and Diplomate of the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management (ECSRHM). Specialist in sheep and goat health, with over 13 years of combined clinical and research experience in small ruminant medicine.
Dr. Michael Patching
Impetus Animal Welfare
Veterinarian and animal welfare scientist, and CEO of Impetus Animal Welfare. Holds a Master's in Animal Welfare Ethics and Law from Murdoch University. Specialises in improving farm animal welfare, particularly in slaughter and handling procedures, and advises government, industry and NGOs on humane and sustainable livestock practices.
Dr. Chris Richards
Swine expert veterinarian
Previous Managing Director of ASX-listed Apiam Animal Health Ltd, providing veterinary services across regional and rural Australia. Graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1996 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine. Founder of Chris Richards & Associates (1998), a pig-specific veterinary clinic, and a recognised expert in swine health, welfare and production.
Dr. James Young
Epidemiologist & Specialist Veterinarian, Foot and Mouth Disease
Freelance consultant in veterinary epidemiology and biosecurity. Graduate of the University of Sydney. Brings specialist expertise in disease surveillance, value chain analysis, and epidemiological modelling to support Medical Ethics’ work in global livestock health and disease management.
Medi-Solfen® – human wound care
Emerging from Medical Ethics’ groundbreaking work in livestock pain mitigation, Medi-Solfen® Pty Ltd operates as a dedicated human life sciences company, applying the patent-protected Solfen-Tech® platform to the treatment of chronic wounds, leg ulcers, and traumatic injuries. A Phase I clinical trial for lacerations commenced in January 2025, with Phase II scheduled for the second half of 2025.
