Because of limited supplies, veterinarians will have to buy a treatment for canine heartworm disease directly from the manufacturer.
Dr. Zack Mills, vice president of sales for Merial, wrote in a Dec. 1, 2009, letter to veterinarians that unforeseen technical difficulties during a planned manufacturing site transfer led to limitations in the supply of Immiticide for the first quarter of 2010.
“We believe that by careful management of existing product, we should be able to meet the needs of most veterinary practices for treatment of heartworm disease in their patients,” the letter states.
Natasha Joseph, a Merial spokeswoman, further explained that the supply limitations are related to regulatory requirements at a facility that manufactures the drug’s active ingredient, but she declined to provide additional details about the regulatory issues. Merial is managing supplies for cases for which there is an urgent need, and the company is working diligently to return to full supply.
“Each request for Immiticide is discussed on a case-by-case basis, veterinarian to veterinarian, to evaluate the overall health of the dog, disease classification, absence or presence of clinical signs, and other criteria,” Joseph said.
Immiticide is one of two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of heartworm disease in dogs, but the older of the two drugs, Caparsolate Sodium, is not currently manufactured or marketed in the United States, according to the FDA.
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