Unregulated drugs can inflame ulcers, study shows

Duluth, Ga.-

Compounded omeprazole is not effective in treating equine gastric ulcers, according to a study conducted by the University of California, Davis.

The study compared the effects of compounded omeprazole purchased froma private U.S. pharmacy to Gastrogard®, an FDA-registered formulationof the drug manufactured by Merial Ltd. Results of the study were publishedlate last year in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

"The compounded omeprazole we evaluated was not equivalent to theFDA-approved formulation," says lead investigator Jack Snyder, DVM,Ph.D., chief of equine lameness and surgery at UC Davis. "It did noteffectively lower gastric ulcers scores or resolve gastric lesions.

"The bottom line is that veterinarians, trainers and horse ownersneed to be very careful when buying any product that is not regulated, becausethey might not be getting what they asked for," adds Snyder.

The study used 32 thoroughbred horses that were examined with an endoscopeand identified as having significant gastric ulceration.

Endoscopic examinations after 30 days and 60 days of treatment showedthat compounded omeprazole neither significantly decreased ulcer severityscores nor aided in preventing the recurrence of ulcers, while Gastrogardwas shown to be highly effective, according to researchers.

Of the horses treated first with Gastrogard for 30 days, endoscopic examsshowed that all 16 horses had drastically reduced ulcer severity scores,Snyder reports. When those horses were treated with compounded product forthe next 30 days, the ulcers returned.

Conversely, of the horses treated first with compounded omeprazole, endoscopicexams after 30 days of treatment showed the compounded product did not significantlyreduce ulcer severity scores. When those horses were treated with Gastrogardfor the remaining 30 days, all 16 horses had significantly reduced ulcerscores, researchers note.