New Tool To Fight NWS

The Food and Drug Administration recently granted Merck Animal Health a conditional approval for EXZOLT CATTLE-CA1 for both the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm and the treatment and control of cattle fever ticks.

“The FDA granted us a conditional approval for a product called EXOLT CATTLE-CA1. It's a first in its class," said Dr. John Hutcheson, director of cattle technical services for Merck Animal Health.  "What it's going to do is offer vets and producers a new class of ectoparasiticide.  So, it's an innovative product, and so it's the newest class of parasiticide known as isoxazolines.  Our active ingredient is fluralaner, and so it is the first and only isoxazoline-class compound to receive a conditional approval for use in cattle against the two parasites we've been talking about, New World screwworm and cattle fever ticks.”

He said the conditional approval is significant due to the threat of New World screwworm and cattle fever ticks.

“Conditional approval. What it does is it allows the FDA to address an issue like an unmet need for animal health, and it's something related to the prevention or treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition, exactly what the New World screw worm larvae and cattle fever tick are," Hutcheson said.  "And so, because of that, they allowed us to use some data from other countries where we already have the approval, and we demonstrated that it was going to be safe, and it also has a reasonable expectation of efficacy when you use it according to label.”

Hutcheson talked about when the product should be used.

"So, it's a liquid pour-on, and so you're going to pour it on from the back of the animal, down the midline, and all the way to the withers," Hutchenson said.  "Again, it's available by prescription. Get your vet involved. And so, we encourage cattle producers should discuss with their veterinarians. They should discuss when to use it, how to use it, just a couple of things about that. They're important in the whole parasite management program, and so, sitting down with your veterinarian is going to be really important. Just to get a little more details, it is approved for use in beef cattle two months of age and older, and replacement dairy heifers under 20 months. And one thing to remind everybody that's listening out there is, as with all conditionally-approved products, the use of EXOLT CATTLE-CA1 is restricted to the label indications and nothing more.”

Click Here to learn more about EXZOLT CATTLE-CA1.

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