ALLVERM 4% Oral Suspension Drench for SHEEP - ELANCO (NOVARTIS) - ricobendazole 4% - benzimidazole

Brand: ALLVERM ® 4% Oral Suspension

Company: ELANCO (NOVARTIS)

DELIVERY FORM: «drench» for oral administration.

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): ricobendazole 40 mg/mL (equivalent to 4%). With 2.88% w/v cobalt sulphate (hydrated) and 0.30% w/v sodium selenate (hydrated).

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): benzimidazole

INDICATIONS: SHEEP

PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)

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

Sheep

RECOMMENDED DOSE*

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

Sheep

  • Worm dose: 1 mL product/8 kg bw (equivalent to 5.0 mg/kg ricobendazole)
    • 16 kg: 2 ml product
    • 24 kg: 3 ml product
    • 32 kg: 4 ml product
    • 40 kg: 5 ml product
    • 48 kg: 6 ml product
    • 56 kg: 7 ml product
    • 64 kg: 8 ml product
    • 72 kg: 9 ml product
    • 80 kg: 10 ml product
  • Fluke & worm dose (for chronic fasciolasis): 1.5 mL product/5.33 kg bw (equivalent to 7.5 mg/kg ricobendazole).
    • Not recommended for the treatment of acute fascioliosis in sheep.
    • 16 kg: 3 ml product
    • 24 kg: 4.5 ml product
    • 32 kg: 6 product
    • 40 kg: 7.5 ml product
    • 48 kg: 9 ml product
    • 56 kg: 10.5 ml product
    • 64 kg: 12 ml product
    • 72 kg: 13.5 ml product
    • and so on

SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: 2400 mg/kg (for the a.i.)
  • LD50 (acute dermal) in rats: n.a.

Suspected poisoning? Ricobendazole is albendazole sulfoxide. 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)

  • Sheep:
    • Meat: UK 3 days.
    • Milk for human consumption: not to be used in sheep producing milk for human consumption.

WARNING !!!: Never use on humans, dogs or 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, resistance of gastrointestinal roundworms to all benzimidazoles (incl. ricobendazole) 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 are: Haemonchus spp, Ostertagia spp /Teladorsagia spp, Trichostrongylus spp, Nematodirus spp, Chabertia ovina

Resistance of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, to albendazole (also to ricobendazole = albendazole sulfoxide) 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:

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: UK.
GENERIC BRANDS available? Yes, numerous with albendazole. Rather few with ricobendazole 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

ALLVERM is a brand with generic ricobendazole marketed by NOVARTIS (since January 2015 aquired by ELANCO) in the UK.

Ricobendazole is albendazole sulfoxide, the natural metabolite of albendazole in ruminants. Both have basically the same anthelmintic efficacy.

All benzimidazoles are veteran anthelmintics, but ricobendazole together with albendazole are the two ones that are 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. It also kills eggs of roundworms and flukes (ovicidal activity). As other benzimidazoles, albendazole has no efficacy whatsoever against external parasites (ticks, flies, lice, mites, etc).

Ricobendazole 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 ricobendazole is not effective against larval stages of Fasciola hepatica.

As all benzimidazoles (as well as other anthelmintics such as levamisole, monepantel, and tetrahydropyrimidines), ricobendazole 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.

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. Care must be taken with ewes not to exceed the recommended dose, particularly during the first month of pregnancy.

Ricobendazole is abundantly used as an injectable for livestock in numerous countries (e.g. in Latin America). Ricobendazole is significantly more soluble in water than albendazole, its parent molecule, which makes it possible to deliver it as an injectable. In fact, ricobendazole is considered as "the" injectable benzimidazole, because all other benzimidazoles are very poorly soluble in water and are not suitable for injection.

Unfortunately, resistance of several gastrointestinal roundworms to all benzimidazoles (including ricobendazole) 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.

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.

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