Merial launches first firocoxib for horses

DULUTH,GA.—EQUIOXX® (firocoxib) is a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) from Merial to relieve pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in horses.

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),EQUIOXX is a coxibclass NSAID, and the first new NSAID entity in many years to be registered for oral use in horses. In trials, EQUIOXX paste was shown to improve the mobility of treated horses,Merial reports.

"Field trials with EQUIOXX have provided impressive results in reducing pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in horses" says Peter Hanson, DVM,PhD,Dipl.ACVS, executive director, pharmaceutical R&D projects for Merial."EQUIOXX provides veterinarians a long-awaited new NSAID that has an excellent safety profile."

To evaluate the efficacy of EQUIOXX, horses were rated for improvement in a study based on four variables: lameness, pain on manipulation, joint swelling and range ofmotion;results showed 84 percent ofhorses treated with EQUIOXX improved.

A targeted study evaluated clinically relevant side effects related to long-term treatment at one to five times a dose. In the study, 30 horses of various breeds and sizes received doses of 0.1 to 0.5 mg firocoxib/kg/day for 30 days. Results showed no treatment-related side effects for body weight change, bleeding time, urinalysis parameters,gastric ulcer scores and renal toxicity. Clinical pathology and gross and histopathologic lesions were also measured at various dosing levels.At a 1X (actual dose) and even at a 3X dose,groups did not experience any clinical pathology side effects. The 5X dose group had lowered red blood-cell count, hematocrit, hemoglobin, total protein,albumin and globulin that were likely associated with parasitism. No cases of gross or histopathologic lesions were observed in the 1X-dose group,and the 3X-and 5X-dose groups had an increase in ulcers and erosions of the tongue, lips and gums,Merial reports.

EQUIOXX, an oral paste, is approved for use up to 14 days for the control of pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis.It is a prescription product available through veterinarians. The recommended dose is 0.045 mg/lb (0.1 mg/kg) body weight.

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