Newsdate: Mon 27 July 2015 – 6:30 am
Location: DULUTH, Georgia

With the additions of LEGEND^® (hyaluronate sodium) Injectable Solution and MARQUIS^® (15% w/w ponazuril) Antiprotozoal Oral Paste to its equine health care product portfolio, Merial is continuing its commitment to providing horse owners with the products necessary for maximum equine health.

Keeping horses healthy and saving owners money

Merial is continuing its commitment to providing horse owners with the products necessary for maximum equine health by their website that offers rebates on newly acquired products.

Not only did the company add them to the product offerings, but they’re also providing savings at the website www.MerialEquineRebates.com.

“We know horse owners place significant investments, both emotionally and financially, in their horses,” says Beckie Peskin, associate director, equine marketing, Merial. “Through this site, we simplify the rebate process by compiling all of the money-saving offers in one convenient place.”

All of the following products have rebate offers on the site:

LEGEND

Through training and competition, even the healthiest and most athletic horses are susceptible to inflammation of the joint lining, also known as synovitis. When undetected or untreated, synovitis can progress to osteoarthritis. Changes associated with osteoarthritis include cartilage damage, joint capsule thickening and abnormal bone production, all of which can affect a horse’s ability to perform. LEGEND is the only FDA-approved joint therapy available for both intra-articular and intravenous equine joint therapy. It is pure hyaluronic acid derived naturally through a biofermentation process.

MARQUIS

Another premier equine product, MARQUIS, is the first FDA-approved product for the treatment of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). EPM is a neurological disease caused by Sarcocystis neurona, a parasite that invades the brain and spinal cord. If left untreated, it can lead to serious, permanent damage to the central nervous system or death.¹

ULCERGARD^® (omeprazole) and GASTROGARD^® (omeprazole)

Even activities considered normal, such as training, traveling and competing can put a horse at risk for equine stomach ulcers.^2,3 In fact, a study has shown that two out of three nonracing competitive horses have stomach ulcers.²

ULCERGARD and GASTROGARD are the only proven and FDA-approved products to prevent and treat equine stomach ulcers, respectively. “While there are other products out there claiming to prevent and/or treat equine stomach ulcers, horse owners should be wary of these claims because they simply aren’t true,” says Peskin. “In fact, the FDA recently sent warning letters to the manufacturers of many of these products because while they are making claims, they have not been through the rigorous FDA approval process.⁴ Some of these products did not even contain the amount of active ingredient stated on the product label.”⁴

ZIMECTERIN^® Gold

(ivermectin/praziquantel)

Treating horses for parasites, including tapeworms, is critical to maintaining overall horse health. A study has shown that parasites have developed resistance to certain commonly used anthelmintic classes,⁵ so it’s become increasingly important to use the right product at the right time.

ZIMECTERIN Gold controls more species and stages of parasites than any other dewormer, including tapeworms^.*6,7

EQUIOXX^® Paste (firocoxib)

Managing joint pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis is important to all horse owners, but especially to those whose horses compete.

EQUIOXX (the paste formulation) is the only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory approved for use up to 14 consecutive days by the American Quarter Horse Association⁸ and the United States Equestrian Federation, when given at the recommended dose with a 12-hour withdrawal time prior to competing.⁹ Other NSAIDs (including EQUIOXX Injection) are approved for a maximum of five days in these types of events.^8,9

MERIAL Brand Vaccines

The American Association of Equine Practitioners recommends that horse owners vaccinate to help protect their horses against tetanus, Eastern/Western Equine Encephalitis, West Nile virus and rabies.¹⁰ Merial’s RECOMBITEK^® rWNV-EWT helps protect against the first four, and the IMRAB^® vaccine helps protect horses against rabies.

“We want to partner with horse owners to ensure their horses are receiving the best care possible,” Peskin says. “We think they will find the rebate system easy to use and well worth the investment of their time.”

To start racking up savings, visit MerialEquineRebates.com.
*Anoplocephala perfoliata

LEGEND:

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: The safety of LEGEND has not been evaluated in breeding stallions or in breeding, pregnant or lactating mares. The following adverse reactions have been reported following use of LEGEND Injectable Solution: Following intravenous use: occasional depression, lethargy, and fever. Following intra-articular (LEGEND) Injectable Solution – 2 mL only) use: lameness, joint effusion, joint or injection site swelling, and joint pain.

MARQUIS:

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: The safe use of MARQUIS in horses used for breeding purposes, during pregnancy, or in lactating mares, has not been evaluated. In animal safety studies, loose feces, sporadic inappetence, lost weight, and moderate edema in the uterine epithelium were observed.

ULCERGARD:

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: ULCERGARD can be used in horses that weigh at least 600 pounds. Safety in pregnant mares has not been determined.

GASTROGARD:
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Safety of GASTROGARD in pregnant or lactating mares has not been determined.

ZIMECTERIN Gold:

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Not for use in humans. Keep this and all drugs out of reach of children. In horses, there have been rare reports of swelling and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue following administration of ZIMECTERIN Gold. These reactions have been transitory in nature. Do not use in other animal species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result.

EQUIOXX:

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: As with any prescription medication, prior to use, a veterinarian should perform a physical examination and review the horse’s medical history. A veterinarian should advise horse owners to observe for signs of potential drug toxicity. As a class, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be associated with gastrointestinal, hepatic and renal toxicity. Use with other NSAIDs, corticosteroids or nephrotoxic medication should be avoided. EQUIOXX has not been tested in horses less than 1 year of age or in breeding horses, or pregnant or lactating mares. For additional information, please refer to the prescribing information or visit www.equioxx.com.

About Merial

Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs 6,100 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide with more than â‚¬2 billion of sales in 2014. Merial is a Sanofi company.

®MERIAL, LEGEND, MARQUIS, ULCERGARD, GASTROGARD, ZIMECTERIN, EQUIOXX, RECOMBITEK and IMRAB are registered trademarks of Merial. ©2015 Merial, Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. EQUILGN1546 (05/15)

¹Reed S. Neurology is not a Euphemism for Necropsy: A Review of Selected Neurological Diseases Affecting Horses; Proceedings of the 54^th Annual Convention of the AAEP, San Diego, CA.2008;78-109.
²Mitchell RD. Prevalence of gastric ulcers in hunter/jumper and dressage horses evaluated for poor performance. Association for Equine Sports Medicine. September 2001.
³McClure SR, Carithers DS, Gross SJ, Murray MJ. Gastric ulcer development in horses in a simulated show or training environment. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2005;227(5):775-777.
⁴http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm422694.htm. Accessed May 4, 2015.
⁵Kaplan RM, et al. Prevalence of anthelmintic-resistant cyathostomes on horse farms. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004;225(6):903-910.
⁶Based on data provided on the ZIMECTERIN Gold product label.
⁷Based on data provided in FDA Freedom of Information summaries.
⁸American Quarter Horse Association. Show rules and regulations. Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations. Available at: http://aqha.com/handbook. Accessed May 4, 2015.
⁹United States Equestrian Federation. Drugs and Medications Guidelines. 2013:6-7. Available at: https://www.usef.org/documents/drugsMeds/DrugsMedsGuidelines2013.pdf.  Accessed May 4, 2015.
¹⁰American Association of Equine Practitioners. Core Vaccination Guidelines. Available at: http://www.aaep.org/info/core-vaccination-guidelines. Accessed May 4, 2015.