Posted: February 1, 2010, 5 a.m. EST
|
Beyond Adrenal Gland Disease
Deslorelin implants are used to treat more than adrenocortical disease in ferrets. Schober said that they have also been used for fertility control in cats, lions, tigers, monkeys and seals; treating benign prostatic hyperplasia; and controlling testosterone-related behavior in male dogs.
Ferret owners and veterinarians should not confuse Peptech’s Suprelorin with the company’s Ovuplant, which is another deslorelin implant intended to induce ovulation in mares.
“The Suprelorin implants are often confused with Ovuplant as they are all ‘deslorelin implants,’ but obviously they have very different uses,” Schober said. “The owner should also be aware that Suprelorin is being used ‘off-label’ and is currently not registered for use in the United States, even though there is significant published data in its use for ferrets.” |
Wagner notes that deslorelin implants may not decrease adrenal tumor growth in some treated ferrets, but says that they may be useful in the long-term management of chronic hormone-induced conditions in ferrets with ACD and in treatment of animals that are considered at surgical or anesthetic risk.
Schober said that the implant and the drug cause no side effects.
Ferrets with ACD that have been treated with leuprolide or melatonin can be treated with deslorelin implants, Schober said. “There should be no health risk in changing treatment to Suprelorin if this is the best option that has been decided upon by the veterinarian and the owner.”
Peptech produces two dosages of its implant: Suprelorin, which contains 4.7 mg of deslorelin, and Suprelorin12, which contains 9.4 mg of deslorelin. Schober said the difference between the two is the length of action time, noting that the larger dose would provide a longer duration of effect. “Both implants have been used in a variety of different species — including ferrets — without significant harm.”
Suprelorin is currently approved for use in Europe and Australia, with case-by-case approval for veterinarians and their patients in the United States.
“It takes considerable time and effort to put any product through the regulatory processes of each country,” Schober said. “A company will always have to weigh up the cost benefits of going through the processes. At present, Peptech is considering applying to the US CVM [United States Food and Drug Administration’s Centers for Veterinary Medicine] for a Minor Use Minor Species indication.
“It may be possible that a veterinarian within the United States can apply to import the product through a ‘Personal Importation,’” Schober said, adding that it could take a few weeks to acquire the product, depending on availability and FDA and customers approval. “This is done on a case-by-case basis.”
Is Deslorelin Right For Your Ferret?
Whether the deslorelin implants are right for a person’s ferret must be considered.
“Each ferret owner should take advice from their veterinarian who is caring for their ferret,” Schober said. “They should know the history of the animal and [decide whether] it is appropriate to change the treatment or not. An owner is also entitled to get a second opinion if they are not happy with the current treatments that are being provided.”
<<Back to Page 1
Wendy Bedwell-Wilson has written about pets for nearly 10 years. Her pets include two cats, two dogs (one being a retired racing Greyhound), seven chickens and three goats.