Novartis Animal Health has announced that it will begin marketing and distributing Adequan Equine in the UK from January 2011.

According to the company, Adequan Equine offers equine veterinarians a proven intramuscular treatment option for equine degenerative joint disease, also known as non-infectious arthritis or osteoarthritis. The product is licensed in the UK for the treatment of lameness in horses due to traumatic or degenerative aseptic joint disease and acute superficial digital flexor tendonitis. This is a critical treatment area since equine degenerative joint disease is estimated to cause up to one-third of all equine lameness cases1. It most commonly affects the hocks and coffin joints with the most severe effects on the high-motion knee and fetlock joints.

Esther Rawlinson MRCVS, Global Technical Services Manager for the Novartis Animal Health Companion Animal Business in the Therapeutics & Equine areas said: "Adequan Equine is a leading joint treatment for horses and is widely used by veterinarians in the equine sport industry. Adequan Equine reduces pain and lameness in horses while at the same time stimulating cartilage repair.

Adequan Equine 100mg/ml solution contains polysulphated glycosaminoglycan for intramuscular injection. It is a chondroprotective, meaning it inhibits the breakdown of cartilage in diseased joints while at the same time supporting its repair.

Adequan Equine works by blocking the destructive enzymes formed in the joint as a result of inflammation while stimulating the production of hyaluronic acid to restore the synovial fluid, and the synthesis of cartilage building compounds.

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