Metacam for Pigs Now Available as Oral Suspension

2010-07-07

Boehringer Ingelheim’s market leading Animal Health medication Metacam® (active ingredient: Meloxicam) obtained EU wide marketing authorisation as an oral suspension in a concentration of 15 mg/ml for use in pigs.

Metacam® reduces symptoms of lameness and inflammation in animals suffering from non-infectious locomotor disorders and acts as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of puerperal septicaemia and toxaemia (Mastitis-Metritits-Agalactia syndrome, MMA).

Following the positive opinion of the CVMP, the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) scientific committee, the EU commission today announced their decision to authorise this new formulation of Metacam® for pigs.

Metacam® 15 mg/ml is a further formulation of a successful concept of inflammation control that helps restore productivity and well being in pigs. It offers an additional option to vets and farmers that increases convenience and stress reduction:

• Individual preferences or specific managerial situations can make the oral application of Metacam® more convenient.
• Situation specific welfare considerations such as in freshly farrowed sows which are particularly sensitive to stress can be another motivation to prefer the oral application over an injection.

“Metacam® 15 mg/ml oral suspension is all about choices which we try to offer to the swine producer enabling him to better adjust the administration of a needed treatment to specific conditions“, says Dr Joachim Hasenmaier, Head of Corporate Animal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim. Metacam® is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the oxicam class. Metacam® was first launched for pigs in 2003, and is now licensed in over 40 countries around the world.