Perhaps the biggest contribution of the discovery
of avermectins in veterinary medicine is the prevention of heartworm disease, which is nearly 100 % preventable with monthly micro-doses of these compounds available in any number of commercial products.
In avermectin sensitive pets, the signs may be more severe and may include coma and death.
The Institute sent the bacterial isolate to Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories in Rahway, NJ, where it was discovered that it was a particular class of compound
called avermectin secreted by the bacteria that was responsible for its ability to kill worms.
On Monday, the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to William Campbell of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and AAAS member Satoshi Ōmura of Kitasato University in Tokyo, who will share half the prize for discovering the
drug avermectin, which has been used to treat river blindness and lymphatic filariasis as well as other parasitic diseases.
Some of the other topical flea and heartworm control
avermectin products will probably also prevent sarcoptic mange — but they are not currently approved for that use in the United States.
Macdonald N, Gledhill A. Potential impact of ABC ± (p - glycoprotein) polymorphisms
on avermectin toxicity in humans.
Current thinking is that moxidectin may be more effective than ivermectin or
other avermectins because it stays in the pet's blood steam longer.
Of the current heartworm medications, all
contain avermectins except Interceptor / Sentinel (Novartis) which contained a closely related compound, milbemycin oxime.
Failure to control internal parasites can result in a decrease in feed intake and general immunosuppression leading to increased sickness during the feeding period.1, 2 The
injectable avermectin products, such as doramectin, provide superior efficacy at controlling internal parasites, while pour - on products provide the best control for external parasites.
Those dogs are not only more prone to be sensitive to ivermectin; they tend to be sensitive to the entire family of
avermectins which includes many of the drugs veterinarians use to treat parasites.
Ivermectin and other derivatives
of avermectin have proven to treat countless worm and other parasites in both human and veterinary medicine.
The medications used to prevent heartworm infection in your pet belong to a class
called avermectins (Macrocyclic Lactones).
Congratulations to William C. Campbell, Ph.D., who has been jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of
avermectin, which led to a treatment for river blindness.
KENILWORTH, N.J. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, proudly congratulates William C. Campbell, a retired scientist from Merck Research Laboratories, who was jointly named the 2015 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine with Satoshi Omura for the discovery of
avermectin, which led to Merck's development of Mectizan (ivermectin), a treatment for river blindness (also known as onchocerciasis) in Africa, Latin America and Yemen.
Macrocyclic lactones include
the avermectins (ivermectin and doramectin) and milbemycins (milbemycin oxime and moxidectin).
Doramectin — Doramectin,
another avermectin, has been used in a study involving 23 dogs that received weekly subcutaneous injections of 600 µg / kg.10, 31 None of the animals showed adverse effects with doramectin; however, this drug should not be used in ivermectin - sensitive breeds of dogs.
Parasiticidal drugs, especially
the avermectin group of dewormers: ivermectin (Heartguard), selamectin (Revolution), milbemycin (Interceptor), and moxidectin (ProHeart) may result in toxicity of the central nervous system when given above therapeutic levels.
These samples should be forwarded to: Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory (VCPL) College of Veterinary Medicine Washington State University 509/335 -3745 In pets reacting to acute exposure to
avermectins or other drugs and treatments eliminated by P - glycoprotein, the clinical signs will become severe within a few hours of exposure.
Since it does not readily cross in to the brain of most dogs (with exceptions), pets tolerate doses of
avermectins that kill the larval stages of heartworms.
Increasing the dose amount does not seem to increase the effectiveness of
avermectins.
However, Milbemycin Oxime has a much longer half - life than
avermectins.
Heartworm preventatives belong to a family of drugs called
the avermectins.
All the chemicals in
the avermectin class kill heartworm larva by paralyzing their neuromuscular system.
(I have no experience using it in
those avermectin - sensitive breeds and advise that you check with the product manufacturer or Washington State U. before using it in them.)
In that article, the author relies on a concept called «refugia» or selection pressure, to explain why heartworms are unlikely to develop the resistance to
avermectins that is occurring in the parasites of livestock.
With this ten-fold increase in incidence of the problem, I am very concerned that the parasites are becoming resistant to
the avermectins (EVERY heartworm preventive on the market except for Sentinel and Interceptor) and to milbemycin oxime (the active ingredient in Sentinel and Interceptor).
In dogs sensitive to
avermectin, coma and death may occur.
It began with the recognition that one of
the avermectin derivative compounds, ivermectin, was effective in treating Onchocerca volvulus, the worm parasite responsible for causing River Blindess, a disease that is spread by the bite of the black fly and infects 16 million people a year world wide.
Certain medications the dog might be receiving concurrently (spinosad / Comfortis ®, antifungals medications like itraconazole and ketoconazole, certain antibiotics, corticosteroids, Apoquel ® / oclacitinib, etc.) can make a bad reaction to
the avermectins more likely You can read more on the subject of demodectic mange treatment here, here, here and here.
Ivermectin is part of a group of chemicals called
avermectins.
A macrocyclic lactone or
avermectin, this is the same compound that is found in many of the once - a-month heartworm preventative tablets.
If this is at all in question,
avermectin - sensitive dogs can be identified through a blood test.
Remember, certain breeds are
avermectin - sensitive (ref).
The amount of body fat that the dog possesses is likely to affect the dynamics of
the avermectin in their body (ref).
Dr. Campbell was acknowledged for his work with Japanese researcher and co-winner Satoshi Omura on the roundworm parasite and the development on the lifesaving compound ivermectin /
avermectin.
For now, your pet will have to be treated with
an avermectin (most likely ivermectin).