Novartis Suspends Production of Interceptor and Sentinel
Posted by Mary Straus at 12:06PM - Comments: (11)
January 9, 2012
If you use these products, you may need to find alternatives.
It seems like every time I turn around these days, I hear about another drug shortage (more on that topic in an upcoming WDJ article). This time, it’s Novartis Animal Health announcing in late December that it has suspended production of Interceptor, Sentinel, and other drugs while its manufacturing facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, undergoes “voluntary” improvements. Numerous human and animal over-the-counter drugs are manufactured at this plant. According to reports, the company hopes to know in January when production will be resumed.
If you currently use either of these products, you may need to find a substitute, at least temporarily. Interceptor is a monthly heartworm preventive medication; it should be easy to switch to Heartgard (or generic equivalent), Revolution, or the newer Advantage Multi. Be sure to purchase these from a reliable source to avoid potentially ineffective counterfeit products. See “When Buying Veterinary Drugs Online, Look for Accredited Sites,” (WDJ June 2011)
Sentinel is a combination of Interceptor (milbemycin oxime) and Program (lufenuron), an insect growth regulator that prevents fleas that bite your dog from producing viable offspring, and therefore can be useful in combating a flea infestation. Program is manufactured by Novartis and is therefore almost certainly one of the other products whose production has been suspended. If you don’t have fleas, you don’t need to use lufenuron.
If you do have a flea problem, you can switch to flea and tick products that contain their own insect growth regulators. Advantage II and Advantix II use pyriproxyfen (Nylar), while Frontline Plus and Certifect use S-methoprene (Precor). For more information on these products, see "New Flea and Tick Products Hit the Market" (WDJ December 2011).
More information:
Novartis temporarily suspends production of Interceptor, Sentinel
Letter: Novartis under temporary shutdown
What Novartis Did Wrong At Its Consumer Plant
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Comments (11)
I called my vet. They received a letter from the company saying that the manufacturing plant will only be closed down for two weeks for cleaning and decontamination (maintenance). They suggested that the vets distribute the meds one tab at a time to avoid running out (hence the shortage panic that is spreading). My vet has plenty on hand and they checked with PedMeds who are also well stocked. Once the plant has been cleaned, it will re-open and regular production will start again. There is currently no shortage of medication and it will continue to be produced going forward.
Posted by: Miniac1 | January 11, 2012 12:23 PM Report this comment
would it be better to purchase product now or wait to make sure there are no problems?
Posted by: betsyg | January 11, 2012 10:12 AM Report this comment
Regarding the mdr1 mutation... *all* standard HW drugs are on the mdr1 list, not just ivermectin. (Don't know about Trifexis though.) The problem with ivermectin, as noted, is when it's given at "mange" doses.
Posted by: LISA T | January 10, 2012 7:02 PM Report this comment
I'd like to offer my recipe for a non-toxic flea repellent. Quantities below are for a 10-20 lb dog; increase according to your dog's size. To be used as a rinse after bathing: 16 oz warm water 1 tsp Epsom salt 2 drops therapeutic grade essential oil of Lemon-Eucalyptus 2 drops therapeutic grade essential oil of Lavender Drop the essential oils into the dry Epsom salts and then add this to the warm water and mix well right before bathing your dog. After the bath pour the mixture over your dog and leave on to dry. I hope you find this as effective as I have. We haven't seen a flea since using this formula. I also recommend a raw food diet with leafy greens and veggies, some fruit and good quality meat. A healthy dog is a deterrent to fleas.
Posted by: Rebecca C | January 10, 2012 6:42 PM Report this comment
I wanted to respond to some of the comments made.
I'm sure that the Novartis plant shut-down is related to the recent problems with human medications, which have included some recalls that just came to light. No problems have been reported with the veterinary drugs, it's just that their production is also affected by the shutdown.
When given in the tiny doses used for heartworm prevention, ivermectin is not considered a problem even for dogs with the MDR1 mutation that makes them sensitive to certain drugs (including milbemycin oxime, the active ingredient in Interceptor, so switching from Interceptor to Heartgard would not pose any additional danger). See http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/drugs.aspx for more information.
Trifexis is manufactured by Elanco (a division of Eli Lilly), not Novartis, and so its introduction would have nothing to do with this shortage. I do agree with the concerns about Trifexis. See my news item about this and other new flea and tick medications at http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_12/features/New-Flea-and-Tick-Products_20404-1.html for more info.
Lastly, I consider ivermectin, milbemycin oxime, and other heartworm preventive medications far safer than the risk of heartworm infection. Alternative prevention and treatment methods are unproven and may actually be more dangerous than conventional meds. I mention this in my recent news item about shortages of Immiticide at http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_10/features/Heartworm-Drug-Shortage_20363-1.html
Mary Straus
Posted by: MARY S | January 10, 2012 5:00 PM Report this comment
After your January article "Sour Greats" - why would you recommend any of this stuff? If a person loves their dog, don't give it poison.
Posted by: ROBERTA MITCHELL | January 10, 2012 2:07 PM Report this comment
In regards to Trifexis, their new product, there have been alot of complaints about this medication causing severe barfing in dogs, even when given with food. I thought about switching to it, but my dog already has a sensitive stomach.
Posted by: R. G | January 10, 2012 11:44 AM Report this comment
As always, buyer beware! Thanks for the information.
Posted by: CAROLYN M | January 10, 2012 10:49 AM Report this comment
I wonder if this "shortage" has to do with the introduction of "Trifexis" which is also made by the same company, but kills fleas instead of just sterilizing. And to re-iterate Diane B. It can cause seizures in dogs already prone to having them.
Posted by: Dress-A-Bull | January 10, 2012 9:33 AM Report this comment
As people consider replacements for Interceptor, it is VERY IMPORTANT for people to know that one of the most popular alternatives, Ivermectin, is deadly for some breeds (breeds that have a certain gene-- see this blog post for more details: dianes-dog-blog.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-your-dog-at-risk-for-ivemectin.html )
Posted by: DIANE B | January 10, 2012 9:24 AM Report this comment
Interesting that the Novartis plant in Lincoln is the one with the recent problems with human medications - see http://journalstar.com/business/local/fda-warns-about-endo-painkillers-made-at-novartis-in-lincoln/article_1c1537ad-df4a-511d-a968-e6bdcd91561d.html
Posted by: mdrisgr8 | January 9, 2012 2:36 PM Report this comment