28 July 2010
Summit, N.J., July 22, 2010 – No one has to tell cat owners how hard it is to give their pets medicine. A new cat-friendly, malt-flavored oral antibiotic, ORBAX® (orbifloxacin) Oral Suspension, solves the problem with breakthrough technology and a good-tasting formulation. A broad-spectrum antibiotic that has a long history of safety and efficacy in tablet form, ORBAX Oral Suspension features a patented, taste-masking ion exchange agent that enables the orbifloxacin to pass by an animal’s taste buds undetected and then be released in the low pH environment of the stomach.
Formulated especially for cats and small dogs, ORBAX Oral Suspension is designed to support pet owners by making it easier and more convenient to administer the medicine. Studies show that the malt-flavored oral suspension is readily accepted by 95 percent of cats and 96 percent of dogs. ORBAX Oral Suspension has an innovative ready-to-use “press-in” dispensing system that ensures accurate, “neat” dosing and does not require refrigeration. The medication can be detected throughout the body within a few hours after administration.
Jane Brunt, DVM, executive director, CATalyst Council, and past president, American Association of Feline Practitioners, was pleased about the new formulation. “Anyone who has ever tried to ‘pill’ a cat will welcome any pet- and caregiver-friendly medication,” she said. “As a professional and a cat-lover, I appreciate products designed to support compliance and good medical outcomes.”
Steve Shell, Companion Animal Business Unit Head, said, “We are constantly seeking ways to keep pets healthy, safe and happy and make the job easier for their care providers. ORBAX Oral Suspension’s innovative technology in both formulation and dispensing can make all the difference in supporting recovery from serious infections.”
ORBAX Oral Suspension has rapid, broad-spectrum bactericidal activity against a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive organisms, and is indicated for skin infections (wounds and abscesses) in cats and skin, soft tissue and urinary tract infections (cystitis) in dogs. Ocular safety studies in cats have been performed.
ORBAX Oral Suspension is in the quinolone family of antibiotics. Quinolones have been shown to cause arthropathy (joint disease) in immature animals. In animals with known or suspected CNS disorders, quinolones have been associated with CNS stimulation, which may lead to convulsive seizures. The use of fluoroquinolones in cats has been reported to adversely affect the retina and should be used with caution in cats. More information is available at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health Technical Services, 1-800-224-5318.
About Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, based in Boxmeer, the Netherlands, is focused on the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of animal health products. The company offers customers one of the broadest, most innovative animal health portfolios, spanning products to support performance and to prevent, treat and control disease in all major farm and companion animal species. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health; subsidiaries of Merck & Co. Inc., Whitehouse Station NJ, USA. For more information, visit www.intervet.com.
About Merck
Today's Merck is working to help the world be well. Through our medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer and animal products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching programs that donate and deliver our products to the people who need them. Merck. Be Well. For more information, visit www.merck.com
