Efficacy of a single dose of milbemycin oxime/praziquantel combination tablets, Milpro(®), against adult Echinococcus multilocularis in dogs and both adult and immature E. multilocularis in young cats.

Two single-site, laboratory, negatively controlled, masked, randomised dose confirmation studies were performed: one in dogs, the other in cats. After a period of acclimatisation, both the dogs and cats were orally infected with Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces. In the dog study, 10 dogs received a single dose of Milpro® tablets at a minimum dose of 0.5 mg/kg milbemycin oxime and 5 mg/kg praziquantel 18 days post-infection and 10 dogs received no treatment. In the cat study, 10 cats received a single dose of Milpro® tablets at a minimum dose of 2 mg/kg milbemycin oxime and 5 mg/kg praziquantel 7 days post-infection, 10 cats received a single dose of the treatment 18 days post-infection and 10 cats remained untreated. In both studies, intestinal worm counts were performed 23 days post-infection at necropsy. No worms were retrieved from any of the 30 treated animals. Nine of 10 control dogs had multiple worms (geometric mean 91, arithmetic mean 304) and all 10 control cats had multiple worms (geometric mean 216, arithmetic mean 481). The difference in worm counts between all three treated groups and their controls was highly significant (ANOVA p values of log transformed data <0.0001). Efficacy of 100 % was demonstrated for the elimination of adult E. multilocularis in dogs and cats as well as for elimination of immature E. multilocularis in cats as evidenced by the effectiveness of treatment 7 days post-infection. The treatments were well accepted and tolerated, and there were no adverse drug reactions observed.

Treatment of naturally Notoedres cati-infested cats with a combination of imidacloprid 10 % / moxidectin 1 % Spot-on (Advocate® / Advantage® Multi, Bayer).

Notoedric mange (feline scabies) is a rare, but highly contagious disease of cats and kittens caused by Notoedres cati (N. cati), which can infest other animals and also humans. The study objective was to determine the efficacy and safety of 10 % imidacloprid/ 1 % moxidectin (Advocate®/Advantage® Multi spot-on for cats) against natural N. cati infestation in cats. Sixteen cats were randomly assigned to treatment group or negative control using pre-treatment mite counts. The treatment group received a single spot on treatment of the investigational veterinary product (IVP) according to label instructions. The control group stayed untreated. Five cats from the negative control were treated with the IVP at the end of the study and observed for 28 days to increase the treatment group. Skin scrapings and mite counts were performed 28 days post treatment (p.t.). Notoedric skin lesion assessments with clinical scoring were performed regularly. Five animals had to be removed prematurely from the study population due to different reasons. The number of viable N. cati mites in all treated animals 28 days p.t. was zero compared with 2.8 ± 3.0 in the negative control, being significantly lower for treated cats (p = 0.0019, Wilcoxon test). The resulting efficacy was 100 %. Clinical cure based on skin lesion assessment was achieved 28 days p.t. in 100 % of all treated animals completing 28 study days. The IVP was well tolerated and applied at the minimal therapeutic dose (10 mg imidacloprid/1 mg moxidectin/kg body weight) a high therapeutic efficacy in curing N. cati infestations and feline scabies clinical symptoms was recorded.

Field efficacy and safety of Felpreva® (tigolaner, emodepside and praziquantel) spot-on for the treatment of natural ear mite infestations (Otodectes cynotis) and notoedric mange (Notoedres cati) in cats.

The miticide efficacy of a single treatment with Felpreva® (tigolaner, emodepside and praziquantel) spot-on solution for cats was evaluated in two European field studies. One study was conducted in cats naturally infested with Otodectes cynotis. The other study was conducted in cats naturally infested with Notoedres cati. In both studies, the presence of viable mites was confirmed prior to treatment (Day -1/Day 0) and re-evaluated on Day 14 (O. cynotis study) and on Day 28 (both studies). Efficacy was calculated based on the number of viable mites found after treatment. In the O. cynotis study, the primary criterion was the percentage of mite-free cats after treatment with Felpreva® compared to a sarolaner/selamectin combination (Stronghold® Plus, Zoetis) as a positive control. In the N. cati study, the primary criterion was the difference between arithmetic mean mite counts of cats treated with Felpreva® and cats treated with a placebo formulation (solketal). Secondary criteria in both studies were changes in clinical lesion scores after treatment. In both studies, all Felpreva®-treated cats were mite-free (100% parasitological cure) on Day 28, 4 weeks after treatment. Signs of mange on Day 28 were clinically improved in all O. cynotis-infested cats (100%) and clinically cured in all N. cati-infested cats (100%). There were no records of any adverse events or application site reactions in Felpreva®-treated cats.

Multicenter randomized, and blinded European field study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Felpreva®, a novel spot-on formulation containing emodepside, praziquantel and tigolaner, in treating cats naturally infested with fleas and/or ticks.

The present field study evaluated the safety and 3-month preventive efficacy of a novel spot-on endectocide containing emodepside 2.04% w/v, praziquantel 8.14% w/v and tigolaner 9.79% w/v (Felpreva®, Vetoquinol) when administered at the intended commercial dose of 0.15 ml/kg body weight to privately owned cats infested by fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and/or ticks (Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes hexagonus, Rhipicephalus spp.). The efficacy of Felpreva® to reduce the clinical signs associated with flea allergy dermatitis was also evaluated. A total of 326 cats, i.e. 120 and 206 infested by ticks and fleas respectively, from 16 different sites located in Hungary and Portugal were included on Day 0 and allocated in two Groups at a ratio of 2:1 (T1:T2). Cats of T1 were treated with Felpreva®, while cats of T2 were dosed with a commercial Control Product (Bravecto®, MSD Animal Health) licensed for the same indications. Of the 120 tick-infested cats, 79 and 41 were treated with Felpreva® and Bravecto® respectively, while of the 206 flea-infested cats, 139 were treated with Felpreva® and 67 with Bravecto®. Cats were physically examined on Days 7, 28, 56, 75 and 90; when present, fleas and ticks were counted and collected. Efficacy evaluation was based on the mean percent reduction of live parasite counts for each of five visits versus the pre-treatment count. Percent reductions of live flea and tick counts over all post-baseline periods were 99.74% (T1) versus 98.56% (T2) and 97.50% (T1) versus 98.65% (T2), respectively. Non-inferiority for the Felpreva® compared with the Bravecto® treated group was statistically demonstrated for both fleas and ticks. Three adverse events were observed and considered unlikely related to the treatment. These results show that the new topical combination product Felpreva® is safe and highly efficacious in treating flea and tick infections in cats for at least three months (90 days) with a single administration. In 16 cats that were identified with flea allergy dermatitis, the clinical signs of flea allergy dermatitis improved following treatment in both groups.

Multicenter randomized, and blinded European field study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Felpreva®, a novel spot-on formulation containing tigolaner, emodepside and praziquantel, in treating cats with mixed infection with intestinal nematodes, cestodes and/or lungworms.

This paper describes a multicentric field study which has evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel spot on formulation containing emodepside 2.04% w/v, praziquantel 8.14% w/v and tigolaner 9.79% w/v (Felpreva®, Vetoquinol) when administered at the intended commercial dose of 0.15 ml/kg body weight to privately owned cats infected with major intestinal nematodes (Toxocara cati, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Uncinaria stenocephala) and/or cestodes (Dipylidium caninum, Taenia taeniaeformis) and/or lungworms (Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Troglostrongylus brevior). A total of 219 cats from 26 veterinary clinics located in Albania, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Portugal were included in the study. Feces from the cats were examined on a single occasion between Study Day -7 and Day 0 (baseline) and post-treatment (i) twice between Day 7 and Day 14 (± 2) (for intestinal helminths) or (ii) twice between Day 21 (± 2) and Day 28 (± 2) (for lungworms). Cats were allocated into two groups at a ratio of 2:1 (Felpreva®: Profender®, i.e. a commercial control product containing emodepside and praziquantel). Cats infected with intestinal helminths were treated once on Day 0 (i) with Felpreva® (Group 1) or (ii) with Profender® (Group 2). Animals infected with lungworms received a second treatment with Profender® on Day 14 (± 2) regardless of group allocation. Faecal egg or larval count reduction for Felpreva® was 97.47% for intestinal nematodes and 96.80% for lungworms. No cats infected with cestodes at baseline resulted positive after treatment with Felpreva®. However, the low number of cats (n = 10) did not allow for a statistical analysis to be performed. Non-inferiority of Felpreva® compared to Profender® was statistically demonstrated for all target intestinal and respiratory parasites. No adverse events nor application site reactions were observed. These results show that the new topical combination product Felpreva® is highly safe and efficacious in treating infections caused by major species of feline intestinal nematodes, cestodes and lungworms under field conditions.

The sustained speed of kill of ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) and fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis) on dogs by a spot-on combination of fipronil and permethrin (Effitix®) compared with oral afoxolaner (NexGard®).

The rapid speed of kill of a spot-on, combination of fipronil-permethrin (Effitix®, Virbac) was shown against infestations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ctenocephalides felis on dogs. Efficacy was determined against new infestations at weekly intervals for one month after treatment. Dogs were allocated randomly to either an untreated control or to a single administration, given on Day 0, of either topical fipronil-permethrin (6.7-13.4mg/kg and 60-120mg/kg, respectively) or oral afoxolaner (2.72-6.8mg/kg), based on pre-treatment, host-suitability flea counts. Dogs were infested with 50, unfed, adult R. sanguineus on Days 7, 14, 21 and 28, and with 100C. felis on Days 8, 15, 22 and 29. Tick counts were performed 0.5, 2, 6, 12 and 24h, and flea counts were performed 0.5 and 24h after each infestation. No treatment-related adverse reactions occurred. Dogs in the untreated group maintained viable infestations throughout the study. Following infestation, live tick and flea counts for dogs treated with fipronil-permethrin compared with untreated dogs were rapidly and significantly reduced with efficacy apparent at 0.5h after infestation. Flea efficacies (arithmetic mean counts) at 0.5h after infestation on Day 7 (Day 28) were significantly greater for fipronil-permethrin, 70% (34%) compared with 8% (18%) for afoxolaner (P≤0.05). Tick efficacies at 2h on Day 7 (Day 28) were 74% (63%) for fipronil-permethrin compared with 10% (0%) for afoxolaner (P≤0.05). Efficacies for tick repellency as indicated by counts of ticks off the dogs at 2h on Day 7 (Day 28) were greater for fipronil-permethrin, 32% (22%) compared with afoxolaner, 0% (0%) (P≤0.05). Anti-attachment efficacies at 12h were greater for fipronil-permethrin compared with afoxolaner. Tick efficacies at 24h, based on arithmetic (geometric) means, were significantly greater on Day 28 for fipronil-permethrin compared with afoxolaner (P≤0.05), 74% (87%) and 45% (60%), respectively, and were similar (P >0.05) on Days 7, 14 and 21. Flea efficacies, 24h after infestation were >98% and similar for both treated groups on all infestation days (P >0.05). The topically applied fipronil-permethrin containing ectoparasiticide Effitix® offers rapid efficacy against R. sanguineus and C. felis which persists for one month after a single administration in dogs. Afoxolaner is also effective although speed of kill is slower. The rapid and sustained speed of kill of both parasites by fipronil-permethrin should contribute to effective management not only of these parasites and their direct adverse effects including irritancy and allergy, but also to reducing the risk of transmitting infections.