FidoPharm launches fipronil-permethrin combination product

FidoPharm, a subsidiary of Velcera, has released PetArmorPro Advanced, a topical parasite control product for dogs containing fipronil and permethrin. The parasiticide, designed to kill adult fleas and ticks and to repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, will be sold over the counter at Walmart.

The company is positioning the product as a less-expensive alternative to Merial’s Frontline Plus, which is sold by veterinarians. “PetArmorPro Advanced is the ideal solution for pet parents who want to provide their dog with vet-quality flea and tick protection at a much more affordable price,” says Alex Kaufman, president and CEO of FidoPharm, in a company release. “PetArmor’s ‘Protection Guarantee’ promises to protect your dog as well as Frontline Plus or PetArmor will refund the purchase price.”

The PetArmorPro Advanced products are currently available at Walmart and retail at $29 for a 3-month supply.

This announcement comes after a U.S. District Court declared in 2011 that FidoPharm’s PetArmorPlus, along with other Velcera products combining fipronil and methoprene, infringed on the patent covering Merial’s Frontline Plus—that although fipronil’s patent had expired, the fipronil-methoprene combination was still protected. In June 2011, Judge Clay D. Land ordered Velcera to pull from U.S. inventory all products containing the protected combination and present it to Merial for destruction.

FidoPharm also garnered attention from the veterinary industry in March 2012 when it unveiled a generic heartworm preventive, PetTrust Plus (ivermectin-pyrantel), that is available by veterinary prescription only through Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies.

Earlier this month, privately held Velcera was sold to Perrigo Co. for approximately $160 million in cash, according to a Velcera press release. Retail sales of the PetArmor franchise exceeded $100 million during calendar year 2012, the brand’s first full year on the market, having launched in April 2011, the release states. According to Perrigo’s website, Perrigo is the world’s largest manufacturer of OTC pharmaceutical products for the store brand market.