Pfizer Introduces Superior Treatment for Swine Respiratory Disease
NEW YORK – A new, single-dose antibacterial that provides more effective treatment of complex swine respiratory disease (SRD) has been discovered and developed by Pfizer Animal Health.
DRAXXIN is indicated for the treatment of SRD associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Haemophilus parasuis.
"DRAXXIN provides the complete course of treatment for SRD in a single, low volume dose," said Oscar Romero, DVM, director, Swine and Poultry Business Unit, Pfizer Animal Health. "We believe DRAXXIN will set a new standard of efficacy for treating and curing complex SRD in finishing pigs. Additionally, the single-dose treatment protocol and short, five-day pre-slaughter meat withdrawal offer producers convenience, flexibility and a unique new solution to improve profitability."
Steve Sornsen, DVM, MS, director, US Swine and Poultry Veterinary Services, Pfizer Animal Health, said that throughout the process of developing DRAXXIN, Pfizer remained focused on meeting the needs of producers.
"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 pigs."
"DRAXXIN is a new molecule that has distinguished itself as a significant advance for treating respiratory disease in swine," added Sornsen. "It is fastacting and provides prolonged drug concentrations in lung tissue. In six field studies involving naturally occurring SRD, a single dose of DRAXXIN proved highly effective, generating high cure rates and reduced mortality."
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 swine and cattle, 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 macrolide subclass called the triamilides.
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. The process 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 swine and cattle posing no significant risk to the efficacy of antimicrobials used to treat human diseases.
