FDA approves first generic BRD treatment
On Aug. 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first generic treatment for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) – an injectable solution called Gamrozyne which is expected to be available to producers this fall.
BRD is one of the most common and costly diseases threatening cattle producers.
Also known as shipping fever, the highly-contagious disease sees an uptick in fall months due to a variety of factors, including changing weather conditions and increased stress from shipping and weaning.
With shipping season upon producers across the West, understanding BRD and knowing treatment options is essential to ensuring herd health.
About Gamrozyne
Gamrozyne is sponsored by Bimeda Animal Health and is the first FDA-approved generic version of Zactran injectable solution. Zactran is a product of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and was first approved for use in 2011.
According to FDA, the generic Gamrozyne is bioequivalent to Zactran, meaning it serves the same purpose and shares the same active ingredient – gamithromycin.
Gamithromycin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial that fights all of the major BRD-causing bacteria including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis, according to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.
Like Zactran, Gamrozyne is labeled for use in beef cattle and non-lactating dairy cattle and can be used to treat symptoms and control the spread of respiratory disease in high-risk herds. Both Zactran and Gamrozyne are administered subcutaneously.
Generic Gamrozyne was sponsored by Bimeda, a leading global manufacturer and distributor of animal health products and veterinary medicine. Bimeda is a member of the Generic Animal Drug Alliance (GADA), which is “an independent trade association serving organizations with interests in generic animal drug products,” as stated on the GADA website.
While the exact release date is uncertain, Gamrozyne is expected to be available to producers via prescription this fall, offersing a host of benefits including fast treatment of symptoms and increased cost effectiveness for producers.
About BRD
BRD is a highly-contagious, complex disease affecting the lungs and respiratory systems of cattle and posing threats to cow/calf herds and feedlots alike.
The disease is caused by a combination of factors including viral and bacterial pathogens and can be worsened by environmental conditions and stress.
Dr. Travis Van Anne of Van Anne Vet Services in Gering, Neb. has been practicing veterinary medicine for 26 years. He notes subpar shipping strategies – especially long hours on trucks and failing to ensure proper nutrition and hydration – makes calves much more susceptible to bacterial infections like pneumonia.
“Often a calf already has a virus living in its system, and when this virus gets replicated to a high enough population in a stressed, dehydrated animal, they can get a bacterial infection,” comments Van Anne.
“When we put cattle in a drylot and expose them to a carbohydrate diet and several other cattle that could or do have diseases and then have them share a water source, we can end up with pneumonia,” he continues.
Clinical signs of BRD can vary but often include fever, labored breathing, discharge from the nose and eyes, depression, lack of appetite, coughing, excessive salivation and rapid or shallow breathing, according to a Sep. 4 article for Bovine Veterinarian written by Andrea Bedford.
Injectable antimicrobial agents like Gamrozyne and Zactran can be useful for treating bacterial infections, but Van Anne emphasizes these drugs do not act as a replacement for the nutrition and hydration necessary to ensuring overall health and preventing outbreaks.
He further highlights water as the most important nutrient in ensuring cattle health, in addition to protein and energy.
Preventing BRD starts with proper nutrition of all animals in cow/calf herds. Colostrum within the first few hours of birth is critical to determining a calf’s ability to fight off infections for the rest of its life.
Later in life, Van Anne says administering antibiotics like Draxxin to calves upon arrival in a feedlot can provide a boost to the animal’s immune system and help mitigate the risks of infection.
Overall, practicing good herd management strategies and consulting a veterinarian for vaccination advice can help keep stress levels low and BRD at bay this season.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
