1 Jun 2017
Palatable oral chews have transformed the ectoparasite market in the USA, and the same trend is happening here in the UK.
NexGard Spectra
Job Title
To optimise compliance with pet medications given orally on a regular basis, vets at Merial Animal Health say that palatability is key and one of the focuses for the company’s research and development team. In the US, oral parasite control already accounts for 70% of all purchases of ectoparasite treatments in dogs1.
The rapid adoption of palatable oral treatments in the US has been driven by direct promotion of the products to pet owners, who have quickly recognised the benefits for their pets and themselves. As direct promotion of POM-V products to pet owners is not allowed in the UK, the switch to oral chews has been slower – but sales have been growing quickly, with the trend predicted to continue.
Dr. Diane Larsen, R&D Leader at Merial, says that palatability was one of the key factors influencing the selection of the final formulation of NexGard™ and NexGard Spectra™, both of which are based on the same chewable technology platform.
She explained: “To avoid potential regulatory concerns, we wanted the product to not contain meat. Moreover, the formulation had to be able to be processed and tested as a pharmaceutical product, and not as a food product. In other words we had to produce a ‘treat’ that would pass current pharmaceutical standards.”
As well as the usual safety and efficacy studies, the product has completed palatability trials used to develop pet foods and treats. Acceptance trials are used to measure voluntary acceptance. These are one-dish tests and a cross-over design allows comparison with a standard control. Two-dish preference tests are used to establish the preferred choice. Voluntary consumption of the NexGard™ formulation was high and it was consumed by over 90% of dogs, giving it a mean overall palatability score of 2.7/32. Preference tests also show that NexGard™ is preferred to other oral parasite treatments3,4.
Merial vet Esther Rawlinson says palatability is about much more than taste and, as a result, the company has also had to consider the shape, odour and texture of the product to develop the palatable, chewable tablet with a braised beef flavour. She says it is important work as practices want to ensure that pets benefit from the preventative health protocols they recommend: “If we can do that and also nurture the human-animal bond then we create a special and rewarding experience for both pet and owner.”
She continued: “Feedback from vet practice staff who have used NexGard Spectra™ for their own pets has been very positive, with 79% saying that their dogs took NexGard Spectra™ readily or like a treat and over 90% of respondents confirming that they would be likely or very likely to recommend NexGard Spectra™ to their clients.”5
