Horse.com - Pergolide: FDA to Allow Compounding From Bulk

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine announced on May 11 it will allow bulk pergolide to be used in compounding pergolide for use in horses.

"A lot of hard work by a large number of people went into getting this resolution," Kellon [Eleanor Kellon, V.M.D.] said. "We've been working on it since the week after the announcement of the drug's withdrawal. It's been a long six weeks, but we're all pleased that the FDA acted in time to prevent any horses having to go without treatment."

Read more...

EquiSearch: FDA Clears Way for Compounding of Pergolide for Horses

A May 11 FDA announcement has cleared the way for compounding of pergolide for horses, but what does the fine print mean? Find out in this special bulletin from EQUUS magazine.

"What it boils down to is that they are allowing it for now," says Kellon [Eleanor Kellon, V.M.D.] "but if an actual drug company decides to start up manufacturing the pill form again or if a drug company wants to go down an official pathway to get it approved for equine use, the bulk compounding will again be considered illegal as soon as that source is up and running."

Read more...

Canadians Lend Their Support

Bridie before being started on Pergolide showing many of the "typical" signs of Cushing's disease






After a year on Pergolide, you can see how much healthier and perkier Bridie appears.





Excerpts from Angela's letter to Canadian publicatons -

I am writing this letter to inform you of the plight of many thousands of Cushing's Equines in the USA - and quite possibly in Canada in the near future - if the issue with Pergolide withdrawal by the FDA (due to side effects in humans but never documented in equines) is not resolved quickly. The drug Pergolide is the treatment of choice for Equine Cushing's or PPID. My Shetland pony of 20 years is on Pergolide for Cushing's and she is healthy and happy. Not so prior to the diagnosis and drug intervention. Bridie had laminitis and founder with rotation in all four hooves and was in considerable pain. With “DDT”- diagnosis, diet and trim with keen hoof management, it took 12 months of rehabilitation to return to health and she is NOW pain free. Without the medication Pergolide to control her symptoms I would have no choice but to have her humanely put to sleep. This is the dilemma.

The U.S. FDA, which on March 29 2007 withdrew the drug Pergolide, still has not brought forth any resolution to the predicament they put us in. As a consequence of this, thousands of horses are at risk to be euthanized due to uncontrolled symptoms of Cushing's - the most common and severe symptoms being crippling laminitis and founder. The reserve drug supplies are almost gone and production has been halted. We have asked the FDA to amend this desperate situation with an EXEMPTION FOR COMPOUNDING PERGOLIDE for special veterinary use.

At present news stations and horse publications are now addressing this issue with editorials and news spots highlighting this horrendous situation. Yet, many vets and caregivers are still not current on the situation. Without Pergolide to control the symptoms they can progress to laminitis and founder within two to three weeks. Time is running out for these equines as Pergolide production has been halted in the U.S.A. An online petition has over 4,500 signatures to date and this number grows every day. We are requesting all venues to provide public information on the desperate plight of these equines and beseech the FDA to address this issue IMMEDIATELY!

New Jersey Readers Get the Pergolide Message!

Hunterdon County Democrat story features Kellie and her TB eventing horse Kelton.


"Horse owners are hoping they can convince both the FDA and the manufacturers to keep the drug available to veterinarians, too. It was not known how many horses are being treated with pergolide, but it is possible that more horses use it than people."

Read the story and see Kellie and Kelton here:
http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/njcom/hunterdon/horsenews/20070501/p16.asp?st=p16_s1.htm

5 O'Clock News Spot on WJACTV - NBC Affiliate Station

"The drug Pergolide, although unsafe for humans treating Parkinson's, was used to treat horses with Cushing's Syndrome."

"A drug used to treat humans with Parkinson's Disease has been pulled off of the market by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Now, horse owners who use the drug Pergolide say that it will leave them unable to treat their horses suffering from Cushing's Syndrome."

See the story and news clip here:
http://www.wjactv.com/news/13288711/detail.html

Canadian Media Contacts

The Canadian Press
You can submit story idea, photos or video (keep short)
info@cp.org


CBC Radio

Ontario Today
http://www.cbc.ca/local_includes/ottawa_contacts/ontariotoday.html
The Current
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/contact.html
The World Report
http://www.cbc.ca/worldreport/contactus.html
The World this Hour http://www.cbc.ca/worldthishour/contactus.html
The World at Six
http://www.cbc.ca/w6/contact.html
As It Happens
http://www.cbc.ca/aih/contactus.html
CBC Radio Over Night
http://www.cbc.ca/overnight/contactus.html

CBC TV

CBC Newsworld
http://www.cbc.ca/includes/newsworld/contacts/cbcmorning_story_idea.html
The National
http://www.cbc.ca/national/yourturn/index.html

Canadian Horse Publications

Horse Publications Group
Box 670
Aurora, ON.
L4G 4J9
Canada
Toll Free: 1-800-505-7428
Local Calls: 905-727-0107
Fax: 905-841-1530

Jennifer Anstey - Publisher
janstey@horse-canada.com
Amy Harris - Managing Editor of Horse Sport
editor@horse-canada.com
Lee Benson - Managing Editor of Horse-Canada & Canadian Thoroughbred
info@horse-canada.com
Susan Stafford - Managing Editor of Horsepower
fearless.editor@sympatico.ca


Equine Lifestyle Magazine

Laura Ireland
l.ireland@equine-lifestyle.com

Staff Writers and submissions
writers@equine-lifestyle.com
administration@equine-lifestyle.com

Canadian Mailing Address
Equine Lifestyle Magazine
P.O. Box 385
Lambeth Stn.,London, Ontario
Canada N6P 1R1

US Mailing Address
Equine Lifestyle Magazine
P.O. Box 201
Belford, New Jersey
U.S.A. 07718

Network Contacts

Use the subject line FDA ACTION CAUSES HORSE HEALTH CRISIS when ever possible.


ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3068843
to contact:
Good Morning America
World News Tonight
Nightline
Primetime
20/20
Weekend News
This Week


NBC - NBC Nightly News
nightly@nbc.com

CBS News
Need to click on "contact us" at bottom of page - brings up form with drop down list of shows (including CBS Evening News w/Katie Couric).
http://www.cbsnews.com/

Fox News
Listing of all contact email addresses
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html

Geraldo at Large — Atlarge@foxnews.com

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form11b.html?2

Contacting NPR (National Public Radio)

Use subject line FDA ACTION CAUSES HORSE HEALTH CRISIS for media contacts

The crisis has several components - it's not just a "human interest" story
Animal health/welfare
Science
Political (David and Goliath big government - FDA vs horseowners, vets, etc, and interagency cooperation(or lack of)

NPR (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/about/pitch/story.html
(This should reach Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Science Friday)

NPR Affiliate Network shows

Diane Rehm (Diane Rehm Show)
http://www.wamu.org/contact/

Justice Talking
http://www.justicetalking.org/aboutus.asp

Weekend America
http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/pitchastory/

Using Same Subject Line for Emails

Posted to EC List May 1, 2007 Msg #90952

> > ABC News web site and go to "Prime Time", or "20:20", or "Contact
> Us" and leave
> > comments or emails--maybe to all places. > Can't hurt of they hear
> from a bunch of us!

Know what? You really have a point there.

I'm sure the volume is high so let's all use the same subject line so
that hopefully somebody notices. How about:

FDA ACTION CAUSES HORSE HEALTH CRISIS

Write whatever you want to write, but everybody use the same subject
line.

Eleanor