Brand: DEPIDEX™ Pour-on Solution 0.5% w/v

Company: ELANCO (NOVARTIS)


FORMULATION: «pour-on» for topical administration. To be applied along the topline in a narrow strip extending from the withers to the tailhead.

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): ivermectin: 5 mg/mL (=0.5%)

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): macrocyclic lactone


INDICATIONS: CATTLE

PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)

* Country-specific differences may apply: read the product label.


RECOMMENDED DOSE*

* Can be slightly different in some countries: read the product label!

  • Cattle: 500 mcg/kg bw, equivalent to 1 ml/10 kg (=22 lb) bw

SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: 10000 mg/kg (estimate)
  • LD50 (acute dermal) in rats: >100000 mg/kg (estimate)
  • Estimated hazard class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines

Suspected poisoning? Read the article on ivermectin safety in this site.

Withholding periods (=withdrawal times) for meat & milk (country-specific differences may apply: read the product label)

  • Meat: UK: 31 days.
  • Milk for human consumption:
    • UK: not established. Do not use in cows producing milk for human consumption. Do not use in non-lactating dairy cows including pregnant heifers within 60 days of calving.

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:


RESISTANCE PREVENTION

Risk of resistance? YES, reported in gastrointestinal roundworms in cattle in several countries particularly in the following worm species: Cooperia spp and Ostertagia spp.

Based on the very abundant and frequent use of ivermectin and other macrocyclic lactones (with cross-resistance to ivermectin) in livestock it must be assumed that resistance of these roundworms to this chemical class will continue spreading and strengthening in the future.

This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against the mentioned parasites, it may 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 gastrointestinal roundworms through product rotation:

These alternative products may not be available in all countries, or may not be available as pour-ons.

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 (maybe under another TM): UK
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, worldwide by the dozens. This brand itself contains generic ivermectin.

Click here to learn more about GENERIC vs. ORIGINAL drugs.

For an overview on the most used antiparasitic pour-on brands click here.


COMMENTS

DEPIDEX 0.5% w/v Pour-on for cattle from NOVARTIS is a generic version of MERIAL's IVOMEC Pour-on for cattle.

Ivermectin was the first macrocyclic lactone introduced in the market in the early 1980s (by MSD Agvet, later MERIAL). It was a milestone and a tremendous progress that revolutionized the control of veterinary parasites. Nowadays there are thousands of brands with generic ivermectin worldwide. It is effective against most species of roundworms that affect cattle and against many external parasites (mainly lice, mites, buffalo flies, etc.), but not against tapeworms or flukes.

Besides convenience aspects, the ivermectin pour-on formulation has the advantage over the ivermectin 1% injectable that it also controls horn flies and biting lice, which are not controlled by the 1% injection.

But it has also disadvantages. In several scientific studies it has been shown that ivermectin administered as a pour-on is not "automatically" absorbed through the skin. Licking (self licking or licking of other treated animals) may account for >50% of the total intake, compared with only about 10% absorbed directly through the skin. This is the reason why a dose of 500 mcg/kg bw is needed after pour-on treatment, compared with only 200 mcg/kg bw after injection. And it has been also shown that intake of topically administered active ingredient in some cattle may be twice as high as in other ones, all treated at the same rate. The reason is that individual cattle show a different licking behavior. An important practical consequence is that the quantity that is finally ingested and is therefore available for the control of gastrointestinal worms depends on the licking behavior of the treated animals. "High lickers" can be overdosed, whereas "low lickers" can be underdosed. And chronic underdosing of animals in a herd may enhance development of resistance to ivermectin in gastrointestinal roundworms. 

Absorption through the skin is also negatively affected by the thickness of the skin and the hair coat, by dust and mud on the coat, by product lost on fences and yards, etc, factors that don't play a role after injection.

In contrast with the ivermectin 1% injectable, the pour-on formulation should not be administered to wet animals, and rain shortly before (up to 6 hours) or after administration can cause product run-off and thus under-dosing. The pour-on shouldn't be administered by strong winds that may blow away part of the product and/or contaminate the workers.

For all these reasons efficacy after pour-on administration is usually less reliable than after injection.

There are also numerous mixtures of ivermectin with other active ingredients, as well as other formulations for parenteral (injectable) and oral (drench, feed additives) administration.

Being one of the best antiparasitics ever developed, ivermectin does not control all parasites of livestock. Unfortunately advertising and even the label of some generic formulations in less developed countries often include unsubstantiated claims. To help preventing confusion and misuse it is useful to know that whatever ivermectin 0.5% pour-on formulation (without additional active ingredients) used at the recommended dose DOES NOT CONTROL:

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