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Important new products for the veterinary industry.


FDA approves medication for Addison's Disease

Greensboro, N.C. -- Novartis Animal Health announces it has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for Percorten-V, the first and only medication approved specifically for use in dogs suffering from Addison's Disease. Percorten-V is indicated for use as replacement therapy for mineralocorticoid deficit in dogs with primary adrenocortial insufficiency.

"Nearly 100,000 dogs nationwide are affected by Addison's Disease. Novartis is proud to manufacture a medication that can save and enhance these dogs' lives," says Dr. G.C. Ritchie, product manager for Novartis Animal Health. "Before this approval, veterinarians were forced to use medications that were not specifically approved for use in dogs. With Percorten-V veterinarians can be confident that their patients with hypoadrenocorticism are receiving a medication developed especially with them in mind."

Percorten-V is administered via intramuscular injection at a dosage of 2.2 mg/kg every 25 days. Clinical studies demonstrate that dogs treated with the medication begin to regain their vitality within 24 to 48 hours after their first dose and may achieve normal life expectancies through a regular schedule of administration and proper medication management, the company says.

Primary hypoadrenocorticism is an idiopathic condition of dogs in which more than 85 percent of the adrenal cortex is destroyed. The adrenal cortex secretes both glucocorticoids (cortisone) and mineralocorticoids (aldosterone) and, without these hormones, an animal will die. Percorten-V is a replacement for the mineralocorticoid hormone replacement such as prednisone and prednisolone.

Diagnosing hypoadrenocorticism can be difficult because symptoms can be linked to many different disorders. Clinical signs are vague and include anorexia, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea which tend to wax and wane, the company says. Frequently, lab findings mimic either renal disease or gastrointestinal disease. Because of this, the disease is often under-diagnosed, the company says.

Certain breeds that are more likely to develop hypoadrenocorticism include Great Danes, Standard Poodles, West Highland Terriers and Portuguese Water Spaniels. The disease is diagnosed most often in middle-aged female dogs.

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These products were featured in the
August 1998 issue of DVM Newsmagazine.