Brand: EDGE ®

Company: ELANCO (BAYER)


FORMULATION«injectable» to be administered subcutaneously.

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S):

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s):


INDICATIONS: SHEEP


PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)

* Country differences may apply: read the product label!


RECOMMENDED DOSE *

  • 1 ml product/20 kg, equivalent to: 200 mcg/kg bw doramectin and 10 mg/kg bw levamisole posphate

Read the product label for further details on dosing.


SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats:
    • Doramectin: 50 mg/kg (for the a.i.)
    • Levamisole: 180 mg/kg (for the a.i.)
  • Estimated hazard class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines

Suspected poisoning? Read the articles on doramectin safety and levamisole safety in this site.

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

  • Meat: New Zealand 35 days.
  • Milk for human consumption: New Zealand: Milk intended for sale for human consumption must be discarded during treatment and for not less than 35 days following the last treatment.

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 of gastrointestinal roundworms to macrocyclic lactones (incl. doramectin) and/or levamisole: YES

Unfortunately, resistance of several gastrointestinal roundworms to doramectin (and other macrocyclic lactones) and/or levamisole is already very high and very frequent worldwide in sheep and goats. Cases of multiple resistance (i.e. simultaneous) have also been reported. Most affected worm species in sheep are: Haemonchus spp, Ostertagia spp /Teladorsagia spp, Trichostrongylus spp, Nematodirus spp, Chabertia ovina.

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.

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

It is generally accepted that the use of mixtures of active ingredients with different modes of action against a given parasite can delay the appearance of resistance. But only if the concerned parasites are susceptible to all the actives in the mixture. If not, the mixture is likely to promote multi-resistant parasites, because the selection pressure against all actives remains in place. Mixtures such as this one may provide peace-of mind to those users that do not know the resistance status of worms in their property: at least one of the actives will work... This may be the case for a while. But the risk that some worm species become resistant to all components after a few years using the same or comparable mixtures is considerable. If it is not too late, a better alternative is to determine the resistance status in the property and to rotate among products (not mixtures) against which the worms have not yet developed resistance, stopping the use of those chemical classes that have already shown resistance problems.

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 injectables.

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: New Zealand
GENERIC BRANDS available? Not yet in this particular composition. This product contains itself generic doramectin and levamisole.

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

For an overview on the most used antiparasitic injectable brands for livestock click here.


COMMENTS

EDGE Injectable Solution for Sheep from BAYER (now ELANCO) is a rather unusual injectable combining doramectin and levamisole phosphate, both broad-spectrum nematicides.

Doramectin is a broad spectrum macrocyclic lactone introduced in the 1990s (by PFIZER, now ZOETIS) for use in livestock. It's spectrum of activity is similar to that of ivermectin. It is generally considered as more potent than ivermectin against gastrointestinal nematodes of livestock, particularly in sheep and goats, and against a few other livestock pests (e.g. sheep scab, cattle ticks, etc.). It is also less toxic than ivermectin, which allows higher safety margins. It is not used in poultry, only marginally in horses, and not at all in pets. It is not used in agriculture.

Levamisole is a veteran anthelmintic introduced by JANSSEN already in the 1960s (NILVERM, RIPERCOL). It has a broad-spectrum of activity against roundworms (gastrointestinal and pulmonary) but no efficacy whatsoever against tapeworms and flukes. It is also completely ineffective against external parasites of livestock (ticksflies, lice, mites, etc). Levamisole has been used massively worldwide in countless generic formulations. It still remains one of the most preferred low-cost anthelmintics for livestock worldwide. It is only marginally used in horses and pets. It is not used in agriculture.

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.