The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has suspended ten drugs for food-producing animals which contain the excipient diethanolamine (DEA), after advice from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (the scientific advisory committee to the European Medicines Agency) about its carcinogenic risk to humans.

All bar one of the suspended drugs contain the NSAID flunixin. The other affected drug is the antibiotic, Tribrissen:

  • Allevinix 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Pigs and Horses (Ceva Animal Health)

  • Cronyxin Injection, 5% w/v Solution for Injection, for cattle and horses (Cross Vetpharm Group Ltd)

  • Dugnixon 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Pigs and Horses (Global Vet Health S.L.)

  • Finadyne 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for cattle, pigs and horses (Intervet UK Ltd)

  • Flunixin 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Horses and Pigs (Norbrook Laboratories Limited)

  • Meflosyl 5% Solution for Injection for horses and cattle (Zoetis UK Limited)

  • Norixin 5% Solution for Injection for cattle and horses (Norbrook Laboratories Limited)

  • Pyroflam 50 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle, Horses and Pigs (Norbrook Laboratories Limited)

  • Tribrissen 48% Suspension for Injection for horses, pigs and cattle (Intervet UK Ltd)

The British Equine Veterinary Association says that the decision to suspend the drugs was taken without consultation with the veterinary profession, and is urging the VMD to overturn the suspension in horses not destined for the human food chain, to reduce the potential impact on equine welfare.

Jonathan Pycock, BEVA president said: "BEVA is fully supportive of all attempts to promote food safety, however flunixin is widely viewed as the gold-standard pain killer in horses and is commonly used in horses undergoing both elective and emergency surgery, for the crippling pain associated with laminitis and for severe forms of colic.

"BEVA is calling on the VMD to immediately enable limited batch release of flunixin for use in horses not destined for the human food chain in the interests of animal welfare. The equine veterinary profession has always been open to consultation with the VMD on a range of important matters relating to responsible medicine use, antibiotic resistance, horse identification, passports and the horse meat issue. BEVA is perplexed as to why the VMD failed to consult with the equine veterinary industry on the animal welfare impact of withdrawing such an important drug.”

Photo: Redwings Horse Sanctuary

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