Tuesday, June 17, 2008

ProHeart6 Heartworm Medication is Back on the Market

Back in 2004, ProHeart6 was voluntarily taken off the market after dogs started dying.

All breeds, all sizes, all ages, all over the country. (Not to mention the dogs brought into their vets suffering from serious adverse reactions that could prove fatal, e.g., vomiting, seizures, difficulty walking, jaundice and bleeding disorders, and convulsions, as well as doggies with other reactions that are serious but maybe not fatal: lethargy, allergies, and loss of appetite.)

The heartworm medication ProHeart6 was their common denominator, a shot that was given to the pups twice a year to prevent heartworm infestation.

Now, ProHeart6 back and this is skeery.

Check out the USA Today editorial, also seen at Yahoo.Com, discussing how the FDA scientist (a vet and agency safety officer) who raised the issue of ProHeart6 was crucified - fired, and threatened with criminal charges by the agency itself.

Over in the business news, Wyeth Laboratories (who produces ProHeart6 under its subsidiary Fort Dodge Animal Health), reversed its voluntary recall by reintroducing the drug into the marketplace with some restrictions: vets who use ProHeart6 have to register with the company and they must also take some training over the web before they can buy the drug to give out to their canine patients. It's an hour long video feed.

What is the FDA saying? Let us know if you have any adverse reactions. Here's the letter the FDA sent to the American Heartworm Society.

Yeah, right. No change to the drug itself. Vets are told to "put your name on a list and watch an one-hour podcast about the shot." Makes me feel safer about this drug, how about you?

Oh, and an interesting sidenote: in 2004, the year Wyeth Labs voluntarily took the drug over the market, its annual revenue from ProHealth 6 was $35.2 million.

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