FDA approves a drug for dog carsickness

February 28, 2007

It’s good to know that the FDA is using its resources wisely.

KevinMD.com on Facebook

Follow on Twitter Subscribe

{ 6 comments }

1 Blog, MD February 28, 2007 at 5:06 pm: Apparently it’s also good for all of those dogs who are getting cisplatin-based chemotherapy for their cancer.

Seriously, though, this drug is related to aprepitant, a new, and very expensive, antiemetic that blocks NK-1 receptors.

But what do you expect? With Zofran going off-patent, how long did you think it would take for someone to come up with a new on-patent replacement?
2 Kathleen Weaver February 28, 2007 at 11:14 pm: Give us dog owners a break.

I have a dog that has already had one pancreatis attack already. That means that I have to take her from her regular vet at closing time to a local emergency vet (at $100 a pop), and then transfer her back to the regular when the emergency office closes at 7:00 am.

I’m hoping that this means we can do a shot the next time, and not go the 24 hour IV route.
3 Anonymous February 28, 2007 at 11:55 pm: I wonder how many crazy pet owners spend thousands on their pets but will not buy insurance for themselves.
4 Anonymous March 1, 2007 at 12:36 pm: I wonder how many crazy pet owners spend thousands on their pets but will not buy insurance for themselves.
Many pet owners view their pets as children. So if you reword your question about how many people would spend money on their children rather than getting insurance for themselves, you’ll have your answer.
5 Anonymous March 1, 2007 at 1:30 pm: How, pray tell, does spending money on veterinary care correlate with one’s likelihood to not have health insurance?

Talk about a ridiculous stretch of logic.
6 RJS March 1, 2007 at 3:43 pm: “Seriously, though, this drug is related to aprepitant, a new, and very expensive, antiemetic that blocks NK-1 receptors.”

Aprepitant (brand name Emend) is a wonderful drug for those that’re non-responsive to 5HT-3 receptor antagonists like ondansetron.

I wish the “Tri-fold pak” was a four day supply, though. The third full day after chemo seems to be the roughest as the Emend wears off. (ABVD chemo anyway.)

In any case, Emend is a Merck drug. I suspect this other NK-1 receptor antagonist was Pfizer’s answer to Merck, and for whatever reason failed in human trials.

I’m too lazy to dig further.