|
Long-Lasting Deworming Helps Protect Against Tapeworms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Rebecca Pitcher
Equine Resources International, LLC
610-444-7554
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Madison, NJ, (October 13, 2011) – Pfizer Animal Health is reintroducing QUEST® PLUS (moxidectin/praziquantel) Gel dewormer. QUEST PLUS has been on back order and unavailable to horse owners and veterinarians for quite some time. Now the product is back on the market just in time for fall deworming to help protect horses against the tapeworm threat, as well as other serious internal parasites..
QUEST® PLUS (moxidectin/praziquantel), is a long-lasting, effective dewormer that helps protect against a broad range of parasites including large and small strongyles, roundworms, pinworms, hairworms, stomach worms, bots, and encysted small strongyles (bloodworms). QUEST PLUS contains the same active ingredients as QUEST® (moxidectin) gel, but with the additional benefit of praziquantel for treatment and control of tapeworms (A.perfoliatum). Both dewormers provide up to 84 days of protection from strongyle egg reinfection and 14 days without inflammation in just one dose[i].
“We are thrilled to have QUEST PLUS back on the shelves and available for our customers,” said Kristin Ruff, Director at Pfizer Animal Health. “Pfizer Animal Health offers the most comprehensive deworming product portfolio. Now with QUEST PLUS back in the mix, the portfolio is truly complete.”
Tapeworms can pose a medical threat to horses across the United States. A ground breaking study in equine parasitology, done in 2003 by Dr. Craig Reinemeyer of East Tennessee Clinical Research, uncovered a high prevalence of equine tapeworms (A.perfoliatum) throughout the United States. Updated data from Pfizer Animal Health showed tapeworm prevalence on west coast farms as 17.3% in California, 36.5% in Oregon and 25.3% in Washington1.
Horse owners can ensure their horses are protected from tapeworms by incorporating a praziquantel dewormer, such as QUEST PLUS, into their deworming program. This class of anthelmintic has been proven effective against tapeworm infections and is commercially available. Be sure to consult a veterinarian before making any changes to your deworming program.
QUEST and QUEST PLUS are approved for use in all breeds of horses and ponies. QUEST is safe in breeding mares and stallions, and foals six months of age and older. Reproductive studies evaluating safety of use of QUEST PLUS in reproductive mares and breeding stallions have not been conducted. For more information on QUEST and QUEST PLUS, visit www.Questhorse.com.
Important Safety Information
Extreme caution should be used when administering QUEST and QUEST PLUS to foals, young and miniature horses, as over dosage may result in serious adverse reactions. Do not use in sick, debilitated or underweight animals. These products should not be used in other animal species, as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result. For more information on QUEST or QUEST PLUS visit www.QUESThorse.com.
About Pfizer Animal Health
Pfizer Animal Health, a business unit of Pfizer Inc, is a world leader in the discovery, development and manufacture of innovative animal health vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic products. Pfizer Animal Health invests more in research and development than any other animal health company. We work to assure a safe, sustainable global food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry and fish while helping dogs, cats and horses live healthier longer lives. We strive to be the animal health company that provides full healthcare solutions to veterinarians, livestock producers, and pet owners. To learn more, visit www.us.animalhealth.pfizer.com.
All brands are the property of their respective owners. ©2011 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved
-30-
References:
1 C.R. Reinemeyer, A.W. Farley, S.A. Kania, B.W. Rohrbach and R.H. Dressler, 48th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, Denver, CO, July 2003. Updated West Coast Farm prevelance of tapeworm infection data. Data on file. Pfizer Inc. 2009.
3 Betancourt,A., E. Lyons, and D. Horohov. The Effect of Anthelmintics on Proinflammatory Cytokine Responses in Treated Horses. 2010 Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases. December 5-7 2010.
[i] Pfizer Animal Health in conjunction with Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center and the University of Kentucky performed an study to better understand the inflammatory responses first noted in a 2006 European study comparing two anthelmintic treatments against encysted small strongyles2. Along with the findings came statistically significant evidence showing QUEST® (moxidectin) to be more effective against parasite egg shedding than PANACUR® PowerPac (fenbendazole) without inflammation2.
The Gluck study included three treatment groups of ponies infected naturally with small strongyles and other parasites. The groups included a control, a group of ponies given 5 daily doses of fenbendazole (20mg/kg/day) and a group given a single dose of moxidectin (400 µg/kg) 3. By day 7, through day 28, all ponies treated with moxidectin tested negative for parasite eggs, meaning a 100% fecal egg reduction3. Ponies treated with moxidectin also showed no significant proinflammatory cytokine gene expression prior to day 143. The lack of significant proinflammatory cytokine gene expression was consistent with the findings in the original 2006 study that revealed no severe inflammatory intestinal lesions associated with encysted strongyle death in moxidectin treated horses2.
The ponies treated with fenbendazole showed only an average 65% fecal egg reduction by day 72, and this sub-optimal efficacy was short-lived. By day 14, strongyle fecal egg shedding was statistically identical to pre-treatment levels. In other words, after the five dose PANACUR PowerPac was administered, ponies were shedding eggs at a rate no different than before treatment. Additionally concerning was the finding that fenbendazole treated horses with encysted small strongyle infections experienced an inflammatory response detectable in the peripheral circulation.
|
