Sales at Portland-based animal health company ImmuCell Corp. increased by 21 percent in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, the company reported Thursday.

ImmuCell develops, manufactures and sells products that improve health and productivity in the dairy and beef industries. It reported total sales of $2.4 million in the second quarter, up $415,000, from the second quarter of 2015.

The company experienced a net loss of $9,000, or less than 1 cent per share, in the second quarter, primarily due to an increase in sales, administrative and product-development expenses, ImmuCell said. The loss was in contrast to a net income of $94,000, or 3 cents per share, during second quarter of 2015,

The company said it is working to expand the market penetration of its flagship product, First Defense, a natural treatment for calf scours, by introducing the product to new customers and communicating how it provides immediate immunity to newborn dairy and beef calves.

The company also said it hopes to receive regulatory approval in 2017 to add a bovine rotavirus disease claim to its existing claims against E. coli and coronavirus infections.

“That would enable us to bring the first passive antibody product with this breadth of disease claims to market,” ImmuCell President and CEO Michael Brigham said in a news release.

Also, the company said it is advancing the development of Mast Out, a natural treatment for mastitis in lactating dairy cows. It hopes to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for that product at some point in the future.

ImmuCell is a publicly traded company that is listed on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol ICCC.