United States Equestrian Federation

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Leading Merial® Equine Brands Become Official Products of United States Equestrian Federation

Release: June 01 2009

Author: smeier

Content provided by Merial® Equine Pharmaceuticals and Bader Rutter & Associates

(Duluth, GA)— The National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport and a world leader in animal health are teaming up by adding two leading MERIAL® Brand Products as official products of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). ZIMECTERIN® Gold (ivermectin/praziquantel) and EQUIOXX® (firocoxib) were recently added as official USEF deworming and pain management products, respectively.

“MERIAL Brand Products have helped to keep horses healthy and competing at their highest level for many years now,” says Scott Carling, managing director of sales and sponsorships, USEF. “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Merial to better serve our members and their horses.”

ZIMECTERIN Gold is a broad-spectrum dewormer that helps control 47 species and stages of parasites.1 EQUIOXX is the first equine oral, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to be approved in more than 20 years and is currently approved for use up to 14 days in the USEF when used at the recommended dose.2

“Merial is committed to excellence in animal health,” says Steve Lerner, director of large-animal marketing, Merial. “That’s why we’re proud to partner with USEF. Like Merial, USEF is committed to outstanding equine health care and safety. As the official provider of pain management and dewormer products, we can work together to better provide quality equine health care for the equine athletes of USEF.”

ZIMECTERIN Gold and EQUIOXX join longstanding MERIAL brands
GASTROGARD® (omeprazole) and ULCERGARD® (omeprazole) as official equine pharmaceutical products. GASTROGARD is the first and only FDA-approved product for the treatment of equine stomach ulcers, while ULCERGARD is the first and only FDA-approved product for the prevention of equine stomach ulcers.

“We understand the importance USEF members place on keeping their horses healthy and competing at the highest level,” Lerner says. “We know as the official manufacturer of these leading equine health care products, Merial can help to do just that.”

For more information, please contact Scott Carling, USEF Managing Director, Sales and Sponsorship, at scarling@usef.org or (859) 225-6928.

Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 5,400 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2008 sales were nearly $2.6 billion. Merial Limited is a joint venture between Merck & Co., Inc. and sanofi-aventis. For more information, please see www.merial.com.

Warning: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all drugs out of reach of children. There have been rare reports of swelling and irritation of the mouth, lips, and tongue following administration of ZIMECTERIN Gold. These reactions have been transitory in nature. Do not use in other animal species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result.

As with any prescription medication, prior to use, your veterinarian should perform a physical examination and review your horse’s medical history. Your veterinarian will advise you to observe for signs of potential drug toxicity. As a class, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be associated with gastrointestinal and renal toxicity. Use with other NSAIDs, corticosteroids or nephrotoxic medication should be avoided. EQUIOXX has not been tested in horses less than 1 year.

GASTROGARD® (omeprazole) is indicated for the treatment and prevention of recurrence of gastric ulcers in horses and foals 4 weeks and older. In efficacy trials, no adverse reactions were observed. Safety in pregnant or lactating mares has not been determined. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Keep this and all drugs o

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