Zoetis announced the launch of Librela (bedinvetmab) in the European Union, United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Solensia (frunevetmab) will launch to veterinarians in Europe, United Kingdom
and Switzerland in May. Librela and Solensia effectively alleviate OA pain in dogs and cats for a month with a positive
safety profile.
“Globally
osteoarthritis (OA) pain impacts nearly 40 percent of cats and dogs suffering from the
condition. OA pain is under-diagnosed as pet owners often think
signs of pain are related to ‘normal’ signs of aging. The most common
medications used to treat OA pain today are Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory
Drugs (NSAIDs), While effective, current treatment choices can have
limitations. Additionally, middle aged to senior pets may have other diseases
that require multiple medications. Not all pets respond to NSAID therapy and
some will not tolerate NSAIDs. This can lead to under-treatment today of OA
pain,” said Mike McFarland, DVM, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical
Officer at Zoetis. “With Solensia for cats and Librela for dogs, veterinarians
will now have access to once-monthly breakthrough solutions for the management
of pain associated with osteoarthritis – offering a new alternative to
veterinarians to improve the quality of life for pets and their owners.”
Untreated
OA pain can limit pets’ quality of life
“My
clinical research, and personal experience, has shown that OA pain can affect
cats in a variety of ways. It impairs their ability to perform their activities
of daily living, like jumping and playing, and negatively impacts their quality
of life,” said Margaret E. Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB, Assistant Professor of
Behavioral Medicine at North Carolina State University.
By
alleviating pain, Solensia helps generally improve physical activity level,
sociability and quality of life of cats with OA. This new product’s benefits
are effective pain relief, combined with a positive safety profile in a monthly
injectable treatment for OA pain in cats. In a clinical study over three
months, a total of 76 percent of cat owners reported sustained improvement in signs of
pain when their cats were treated with Solensia. “The monthly
administration makes it especially useful for cats, with the potential to bring
pain relief to millions of cats who suffer from OA,” said Dr Gruen.
“OA pain can affect many areas of a pet’s life, including sleep,
cognitive function, affect (emotion) and social relationships, among several
other factors,” said John Innes, BVSc, PhD, MRCVS (Small Animal Orthopaedics), Chief Veterinary Officer
and Referrals Director, CVS (United Kingdom).
Librela
– administered as monthly injections during the pivotal field study
(three-month placebo-controlled, followed by six months continuation therapy) –
demonstrated a reduction in OA pain as compared to placebo-controlled dogs.
Pets owners observed reduction in pain, as monitored by increased physical
activity level, sociability, and quality of life.
Nerve
Growth Factor a key player in OA in dogs and cats
Librela
(bedinvetmab) and Solensia (frunevetmab) work differently from NSAIDs, the
current standard of care, by specifically targeting NGF, a key player in OA
pain. As monoclonal antibodies, they are eliminated by the body in
the same way as naturally occurring proteins, with minimal involvement of the
liver or the kidney.
“The potential for anti-NGF therapy to control OA pain is an
exciting new development, representing a new therapeutic class, an innovative
tool for clinicians working to alleviate OA pain, and a new medicinal
innovation. NGF is one of
the key factors mediating pain, inducing the release of both proinflammatory
mediators and more NGF contributing to a cycle of pain and inflammation. I
welcome this innovative tool for clinicians working to alleviate OA pain”
concludes Dr. Innes.
Librela
and Solensia as part of multi-modal treatment for OA
OA
is a progressive disease in dogs and cats. “The best approach to therapy
includes analgesics, weight
management and exercise. It’s important that veterinarians work with pet
owners on a multi-modal approach to support the care of the animal,” added Dr.
McFarland.
Rob
Kelly, Executive Vice President and President International Operations at
Zoetis concludes: “Our focus on pain management is not new. Zoetis launched
Rimadyl (carprofen) in 1997, and the long acting Trocoxil (mavacoxib) in 2009. And now, we are
very excited to provide Librela and Solensia as innovative new options for the
management of osteoarthritis pain in canine and feline patients to European
veterinarians.”
For more information about Librela and Solensia and full prescribing
information, refer to Solensia
EU SPC
and Librela
EU SPC.
