23 Jan 2023
Zenalpha is described as an innovative alpha-2 agonist and peripheral antagonist combination, which helps maintain stability of critical physiological parameters and alleviates stress of sedation.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
An innovative sedation product for dogs that claims rapid onset and recovery has been launched in the UK by Dechra.
Zenalpha – an alpha-2 agonist and peripheral antagonist combination that helps maintain the stability of critical physiological parameters1 and alleviate the stress of sedation – aims to provide restraint, sedation and analgesia during non-invasive, non-painful or mildly painful procedures and examinations, and is intended to last no more than 30 minutes2.
Administered as an IM product and taking 5 to 15 minutes to take effect, Dechra said it allows vets to start procedures more quickly, optimise monitoring3, and allow them to recover and go home sooner.
Zenalpha contains 0.5mg/ml medetomidine hydrochloride and 10mg/ml vatinoxan hydrochloride. The former is an alpha-2 agonist and the most widely used of its type in Europe, while vatinoxan is a peripherally selective alpha-2 antagonist with limited penetration across the blood-brain barrier.
A study of 223 dogs1 comparing a traditional alpha-2 agonist with Zenalpha found it minimised cardiovascular side effects while preserving reliable sedation and analgesia. It is faster to onset, has a shorter sedation duration and a faster recovery in most dogs.
Claire Westoby, brand manager at Dechra, said: “With an ever-growing range of products for anaesthesia and analgesia, we are delighted to add Zenalpha to our extensive portfolio.”
Ms Westoby added: “The next generation of alpha-2 agonists have evolved to provide the same effective and reliable sedation and analgesia, but with reduced cardiovascular side effects and a reduced chance of vomiting.
“This improves the sedation experience for the canine patient, as well as reducing the associated stress commonly experienced by veterinary teams and dog owners.”
Matt Gurney, a European specialist in veterinary anaesthesia and hospital director at Anderson Moores, introduced Zenalpha to vets in his “Zennovation in sedation – the next generation of alpha-2 agonists” sessions at the London Vet Show.
Mr Gurney said: “It is really exciting to see the launch of an innovative new product – especially one with a unique mechanism of action that will improve the sedation experience for the vet team and our patients.
“Zenalpha not only provides a solution to cases where IV placement is not possible and a rapid onset IM option is required, but it also offers a rapid and complete recovery which ensures that dogs can be reunited with their owners and return home as soon as possible.”
Zenalpha is in a 10ml glass vial in individually packed cardboard boxes. For further information, visit the Dechra website.
1. Turunen H and Zimmerman N (2022). Safety of a medetomidine- vatinoxan combinationdrug (Zenalpha) in dogs – a clinical field trial, Proc International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (IVECCS) 2022, IVECCS, San Antonio.
2. European Medicine Agency (2022). Zenalpha EU summary of product characteristics, https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/zenalpha-epar-product-information_en.pdf
3. Niemann L, Kutter AP, Joerger FB, Wieser ML, Hartnack S and Steblaj B (2022). The impact of vatinoxan on microcirculation after intramuscular co-administration with medetomidine in beagle dogs: a blinded crossover study, Vet Anaesth Analg 49(4): 336-343.
