Brand: ALBEN ® 1.9% Broad Spectrum Wormer
Company: VIRBAC
DELIVERY FORM: «drench» for oral administration.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): albendazole 19 mg/mL (equivalent to 1.9%).
CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): benzimidazole
INDICATIONS: SHEEP (incl lambs) & GOATS
PARASITES CONTROLLED (spectrum of activity)
Sheep & Goats
- Roundworms:
- Gastrointestinal roundworms (mature & immature): Ostertagia spp, (incl. inhibited larvae), Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp, Trichostrongylus axei, Nematodirus spp, Cooperia spp, Chabertia ovina, Oesophagostomum columbianum, Oesophagostomum venulosum, Bunostomum spp,
- Lungworms: of Dictyocaulus filaria.
- Gastrointestinal roundworms (mature & immature): Ostertagia spp, (incl. inhibited larvae), Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp, Trichostrongylus axei, Nematodirus spp, Cooperia spp, Chabertia ovina, Oesophagostomum columbianum, Oesophagostomum venulosum, Bunostomum spp,
- Tapeworms: Moniezia spp.
- Flukes: Aids in the control of adult of liver flukes Fasciola hepatica.
RECOMMENDED DOSE
- Roundworms, lungworms, tapeworms: 1 mL product/5 kg bw (equivalent to 3.8 mg/kg albendazole).
- To aid in trhe control of liver fluke: 1 mL product/4 kg bw (equivalent to 4.7 mg/kg albendazole).
SAFETY
- LD50 (acute oral) in rats: >1320 mg/kg (for the a.i.)
- LD50 (acute dermal) in rats: n.a.
Suspected poisoning? Read the article on albendazole safety in this site.
Withholding periods (=withdrawal times) in days for meat & milk (country-specific differences may apply: read the product label)
- Meat: AUS 10 days (ESI = 10 days)
- Milk for human consumption: AUS Do not use in animals which are producing or may produce in the future milk or milk product for human consumption.
WARNING !!!: Never use on humans, dogs and cats
You may be interested in the following articles in this site dealing with the general safety of veterinary products:
- Safety for humans
- Safety for domestic animals
- Safety for the environment
- Hazard classifications of pesticides
RESISTANCE PREVENTION
Risk of resistance? YES, resistance of gastrointestinal roundworms to all benzimidazoles (incl. albendazole) in ruminants is a very serious and increasing problem wordlwide, particularly in sheep and goats, but also in cattle. The most affected worm species in sheep and goats are: Haemonchus spp, Ostertagia spp /Teladorsagia spp, Trichostrongylus spp, Nematodirus spp, Chabertia ovina
Resistance of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, to albendazole and triclabendazole has been already reported in several countries as well (e.g. Argentina, Australia, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, etc.). It is not as widespread and high as in gastrointestinal roundworms, but it will certainly strengthen and spread quickly unless measures are taken to delay it.
There are only very few reports on resistance of Moniezia spp tapeworms to benzimidazoles (e.g. fenbendazole) but it is certainly not yet a widespread problem.
This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against the mentioned parasites, it can be due to resistance and not to incorrect use, which is usually the most frequent cause of product failure.
Alternative chemical classes/active ingredients to prevent resistance of external parasites through product rotation:
- Macrocyclic lactones (e.g. abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin, ivermectin, moxidectin, etc.): only against gastrointestinal roundworms, ineffective against flukes or tapeworms. Resistance to macrocyclic lactones is also increasing and strengthening quickly in many countries.
- Levamisole: only against gastrointestinal roundworms, ineffective against flukes or tapeworms. Resistance to levamisole has been reported in most countries, but is usually less strong and frequent than to benzimidazoles.
- Monepantel: only against gastrointestinal roundworm species in sheep & goats in some countries (e.g. Australia, UK & EU, New Zealand). First cases of resistance reported in New Zealand in 2013. Ineffective against flukes or tapeworms.
- Salicylanilides (e.g. closantel, niclosamide, rafoxanide): only in some countries against liver flukes, certain gastrointestinal roundworm species or tapeworms. Resistance to closantel has been reported in some countries. Not available in all countries.
- Tetrahydropyrimidines (e.g. morantel, pyrantel): only against certain gastrointestinal roundworms, ineffective against flukes or tapeworms. Not available in some countries. Resistance to morantel has been reported in some countries.
- Clorsulon: only against liver flukes (Fasciola hepatica), ineffective against roundworms or tapeworms.
- Nitroxinil: only against liver flukes (Fasciola hepatica) and a few gastrointestinal roundworms (e.g. Bunostomum spp, Haemonchus spp, Oesophagostomum spp). Not available in some countries. Ineffective against tapeworms.
These alternative products may not be available in all countries, or may not be available as drenches, or may not be effective against all the concerned parasites.
It is highly recommended to periodically check (e.g. every 2 years) the resistance status of each property performing appropriate tests (e.g. faecal egg counts) under supervision of a veterinary doctor. Such tests are now routinely available for most producers in developed countries.
Learn more about resistance and how it develops.
MARKETING
Are the active ingredients of this product ORIGINAL* or GENERICS**?
- GENERICS
*Meaning that they are still patent protected and generics are not yet available
**Meaning that they have lost patent protection and may be acquired from manufacturers of generic active ingredients other than the holder of the original patent.
COUNTRIES where this brand/product is marketed: Australia.
GENERIC BRANDS available? Yes, in most countries
Click here to learn more about GENERIC vs. ORIGINAL drugs.
For an overview on the most used drench brands for livestock click here.
COMMENTS
ALBEN is a local brand from VIRBAC containing generic albendazole, marketed in Australia.
Albendazole is a veteran benzimidazole introduced in the 1970's by SMITH-KLINE (later PFIZER, now ZOETIS). Albendazole was the first benzimidazole with a broad-spectrum of activity, i.e. effective against all three major classes of parasitic worms: Roundworms (gastrointestinal and pulmonary), tapeworms, and flukes (only adults). Most other benzimidazoles are not effective against flukes, and the oldest ones are also ineffective against tapeworms. Albendazole also kills eggs of roundworms and flukes (ovicidal activity). All this made albendazole particularly popular for use on livestock. As other benzimidazoles, albendazole has no efficacy whatsoever against external parasites (ticks, flies, lice, mites, etc). However, albendazole is not effective against acute fasciolasis of sheep caused by massive infections with larvae of Fasciola hepatica migrating through the liver. The reason is that albendazole is not effective against larval stages of Fasciola hepatica. Albendazole t is massively used in ruminants worldwide, less in swine, poultry, horses and pets. It is not used in agriculture.
A significant disadvantage of albendazole is that it can be teratogenic (other benzimidazoles too, e.g. ricobendazole, parbendazole and cambendazole), i.e. it can cause malformations in the embryos and therefore should not be administered to pregnant animals.
As all benzimidazoles (as well as other anthelmintics such as levamisole, monepantel, and tetrahydropyrimidines), albendazole administered as a drench has no residual effect, i.e. it kills the parasites shortly after administration, but does not significantly protect the animals against re-infestation by infective stages in their environment.
Drench is the most used delivery form for albendazole, but in many countries it is also available in the form of feed additives (mainly for pig & poultry) and other delivery forms for oral administration (boluses, tablets, etc). As most benzimidazoles albendazole it is not appropriate for intramuscular or subcutaneous injection due to its poor solubility in water, but intraruminal injection is very popular in Latin America.
Both for livestock and pets albendazole is often used in combinations that broaden the spectrum of activity or try to overcome potential resistance. Typical mixtures for livestock include a flukicide (e.g. closantel, etc.) and/or a macrocyclic lactone, and/or levamisole, although such mixtures are not approved everywhere. For dogs and cats it is often combined with a taenicide (e.g. praziquantel).
Unfortunately, resistance of several gastrointestinal roundworms to all benzimidazoles (including albendazole) is already very high and very frequent worldwide in sheep and goats, slightly lower in cattle, which has significantly reduced their usage in livestock. Nowadays more convenient pour-ons and injectables containing macrocyclic lactones (e.g. abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin, ivermectin, moxidectin) are often preferred over drenches. These compounds also ensure several weeks protection against re-infestation by several worm species, in contrast with all benzimidazoles that lack any residual effect.
In ruminants, reducing the amount of feed slows down the exit flow of the rumen and prolongs the time during which the active ingredient remains there and is absorbed. Consequently it is advisable to reduce the access of animals to feed (especially to fresh pasture, not to water) 24 hours before administration. For the same reason, it is better to keep the animals away from food for about 6 hours after drenching. However sick or weak animals should not be kept away from food and fasting animals should have access to water. In cattle, a fiber-rich diet also increases the bioavailability of albendazole.
In contrast with this, administration of albendazole with the food increases its bioavailability in carnivores, including dogs and cats.
Albendazole active ingredient is a solid compound poorly soluble in water and in drenches it is formulated as a suspension (not as a solution or as an emulsion). A key unfavorable feature of all suspensions is that the suspended solid particles tend to fall down to the bottom of the container and sediment, very much like sand in water. This means that suspensions must be thoroughly shaken before use. How fast the suspension sediments and how easily shaking the container redistributes the suspension depends on the formulation quality. A good formulation sediments slowly and shaking will re-suspend it quickly. Bad formulations sediment quickly and shaking re-suspends them slowly.
Thoroughly shaking suspensions before use is crucial for efficacy. If the active ingredient remains in the sediment, a few animals may get most of the active ingredient and will be overdosed, and the large majority will get almost only solvents and will be underdosed.
Click here for general information on good practices for the prevention and control of gastrointestinal worms in livestock.
DISCLAIMER
This article IS NOT A PRODUCT LABEL. It offers complementary information that may be useful to veterinary professionals and users that are not familiar with veterinary antiparasitics.
Information offered in this article has been extracted from publications issued by manufacturers, government agencies (e.g. EMEA, FDA, USDA, etc.) or in the scientific literature. No guarantee is given on its accuracy, integrity, sufficiency, actuality and opportunity, and any liability is denied. Read the site's DISCLAIMER.
In case of doubt contact the manufacturer or a veterinary professional.