The first FDA-approved medication for the control of pyrexia in horses is headed to market from Kindred Biosciences Inc., developer of the feline weight-control drug Mirataz.
KindredBio reported that Zimeta, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, potentially could be prescribed to 1 million U.S. horses each year, given that about one-eighth of the population is diagnosed with pyrexia, or fever, annually. Zimeta (dipyrone injection) is administered intravenously once or twice daily for up to three days.
“The equine community has been eagerly anticipating an FDA-approved safe and effective product to control fever in horses,” said Denise Bevers, president and chief operating officer of KindredBio. “Equine pyrexia is an attractive market for KindredBio, with high unmet medical need and a commitment to treat.”
Development of Zimeta and earning approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine cost the company about $5 million over five years, KindredBio reported.
Zimeta is 7-year-old KindredBio’s second FDA-approved drug. The first, Mirataz (mirtazapine transdermal ointment), was authorized in May 2018 for the management of unintended weight loss in cats.
KindredBio is developing more than a dozen other biopharmaceuticals. Among them is one for the control of non-regenerative anemia in cats and another is an antibody to fight atopic dermatitis in dogs.