Pfizer Introduces Treatment for Bovine Respiratory Disease
NEW YORK – A new, single-dose antibacterial that provides more effective treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) has been developed by Pfizer Animal Health. Clinical studies and field trials demonstrate that new DRAXXIN is highly efficacious for treating naturally occurring respiratory disease in cattle.
29 June 2007
2 minute read
"Our goal in developing DRAXXIN was to set a new standard of effectiveness for treatment of costly livestock diseases," said Ann Jernigan, DVM, PhD, vice president, Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Pfizer Animal Health.
DRAXXIN is indicated for treatment of BRD and control of respiratory disease in cattle at high risk of developing BRD caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni (Haemophilus somnus).
Field trials demonstrate that a single dose of DRAXXIN provides exceptional effectiveness in treating BRD.
"Clinical efficacy, following a single, low-volume dose of DRAXXIN in cattle with BRD has been excellent," said Gordon Brumbaugh, DVM, PhD, anti-infectives specialist, Cattle Specialty Veterinary Operations, Pfizer Animal Health. "Animals that received DRAXXIN had significantly higher first-treatment clinical success, and lower incidence of animals removed due to BRD (mortalities plus chronics), than did animals that received Nuflor® or Micotil®." 2, 3 According to Brumbaugh, DRAXXIN is ideally suited for first-line hospital treatment of BRD. "We anticipate that DRAXXIN will raise the standard for treatment of BRD."
"Throughout the process of developing DRAXXIN, we focused on meeting the needs of producers," added Nigel Evans, MA, PhD, group director, Veterinary & Professional Services, Pfizer Animal Health. "Producers and veterinarians would like to replace multi-dose treatments with single-dose programs that improve cure rates and also reduce the costs, labor and animal stress associated with re-treating livestock that do not respond to the first treatment."
"DRAXXIN delivers a full course of therapy in a single dose, providing producers with a unique new solution to improve profitability," said Evans.
Discovering DRAXXIN
In discovering the novel antibacterial, Pfizer scientists evaluated hundreds of compounds, screening for the desired characteristics of an injectable antibacterial that would be safe for use in cattle and swine, with a broad spectrum and potency sufficient to be highly effective against the targeted disease in a single administration. Driven by these objectives, Pfizer isolated tulathromycin, the first of a new subclass of antimicrobials.
In addition to its unique profile, DRAXXIN is also the first animal antimicrobial to receive approval following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new Guidance 152 review process that included a public review by the FDA Veterinary Medical Advisory Committee (VMAC) of safety with respect to the potential for transfer of antimicrobial resistant organisms to humans. In their recommendations, the VMAC committee supported that DRAXXIN could be used safely in cattle and swine posing no significant risk to the efficacy of antimicrobials used to treat human diseases.
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