April 16, 2014

Novartis launches Strenzen^® antibiotic for pigs

Novartis Animal Health has launched Strenzen^®, an oral water medication for pigs containing a combination of amoxicillin trihydrate (500mg/g) and potassium clavulanate (125mg/g) in ratio of 4:1.

Strenzen is indicated for the treatment of gastrointestinal infections caused by Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella Typhimurium, and for respiratory tract infections caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus suis, making it ideally suited for the treatment of postweaning infections in pigs.

Strenzen is first launched in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid broadens the performance of amoxicillin, especially against resistant strains of bacteria capable of producing β-lactamase enzymes. Certain bacteria are able to produce β-lactamase enzymes as a protection mechanism, making the amoxicillin molecule ineffective against them. The clavulanic acid in Strenzen binds to the molecules of the β-lactamase enzyme, ensuring the amoxicillin remains unaffected and free to attack bacteria.

"Weaning is a stressful event for piglets and there are several opportunistic diseases that can impact them during this period," said professor Dominiek Maes, DVM, MSc, MS, PhD, Dipl. ECVPH, Dipl. ECPHM, from the Porcine Health Management Unit of Ghent University, Belgium. "The challenge with E. coli and S. suis infections is that in many countries there are currently no commercial vaccines available with proper efficacy. I believe Strenzen can indeed be very helpful in managing those infections which are so prevalent after weaning."

Strenzen is rapidly excreted, leading to a withdrawal period of just one day, which in turn maximises production flexibility for pig producers in the European launch countries. In addition, the water-soluble formulation of Strenzen ensures that treated pigs get a therapeutic dose even when they stop eating, making it an ideal treatment for sick pigs with compromised appetites.

Recent field trials on infected farms in Spain and the Czech Republic demonstrate that Strenzen-treated pigs give better production performance, better economic returns and require less medical intervention. The reduction of the overall amount of antibiotics needed to treat severe post-weaning infections not only saves producers the costs of the labour and the medication, but is also important in regard to the development of resistance in bacteria.

"With the launch of Strenzen, Novartis Animal Health demonstrates its commitment to continually broadening our product portfolio to address the specific needs of farmers and food producers," said Dr Ulrich Klein, global technical services manager, Novartis Animal Health. "Strenzen has the ideal spectrum for the treatment of post-weaning infections, delivering better productivity results than current therapies for those infections."