DULUTH, Ga., July 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi and its
animal health company Merial announced today the launch in the U.S.
of Oravet® dental hygiene chews for dogs at the annual
meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association in
Boston, Massachusetts. Oravet
dental hygiene chews use exclusive, new, dual-action technology to
significantly reduce the formation of plaque, calculus and
halitosis at their source.
According to studies, many dental issues in dogs may be
prevented through regular veterinary and home dental
care,1 but only 14 percent of dogs receive dental care
at a veterinary clinic,2 and only 2 percent of owners
brush their pets' teeth daily3. Pet owners often
mistakenly consider signs like halitosis, calculus, drooling and
other symptoms as normal, therefore missing the early indicators of
dental problems.4
"As pet ownership increases around the world, so does the
need for excellent care of these members of the family," said
Carsten Hellmann, Merial CEO and
Sanofi Executive Vice President. "An exciting expansion into a
new product category, Oravet dental hygiene chews complement
Merial's focus on disease prevention, and overall health and
wellness management in animals. We are launching today in the
United States, but we expect to
introduce the dental chew in other markets in early 2016."
Oravet dental hygiene chews provide a unique, easy-to-administer
option designed to help pet owners comply with veterinary
recommendations for at-home maintenance of their dogs' oral
hygiene. Each Oravet dental hygiene chew releases delmopinol, an
innovative compound originally developed for human dentistry and
exclusively licensed to Merial for veterinary use. Delmopinol
creates a barrier that prevents bacterial attachment to teeth,
tongue and gingiva,5,6 inhibiting the production of
biofilms that form plaque and the volatile sulfur compounds of
halitosis. During chewing, the malleable, high-density treat also
helps scrub away existing plaque and calculus.
Oravet dental hygiene chews are highly palatable, and when taken
daily, have shown a 53 percent reduction in halitosis, a 42 percent
reduction in plaque and a 54 percent reduction in calculus compared
to dry diet alone.7 The chews, which may be given to
dogs over 6 months of age, will be offered in three sizes based on
a dog's weight. They will be available through veterinarians
only.
Oravet dental hygiene chews join Merial's extensive product
portfolio dedicated to preventing and managing major pet health
issues, including Heartgard® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel),
for the prevention of heartworm disease, Frontline® Plus
(fipronil + (S)-methoprene) and NexGard® (afoxolaner),
for flea and tick control and protection, and a large range of pet
vaccines.
References
1 DuPont GA. Prevention of periodontal disease.
Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1998; 28(5):
1129-1145.
2 Veterinary Pet Insurance. Brush up on your
pet's oral care.
http://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-dental-care/Brush-Up-on-Your-Pets-Oral-Care.aspx.
Accessed 5/15/2015.
3 Quest BW. Oral
health benefits of a daily dental chew in dogs. J Vet Dent.
2013;30(2):84-87.
4 American Veterinary
Dental College. Information for owners. http://www.
avdc.org/ownersinfo.html. Accessed
3/23/2015.
5 Steinberg D, Beeman D,
Bowen W. The effect of delmopinol on glucosyltransferase adsorbed
on to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite. Archs Oral Biol.
1992;37:33-38.
6 Vassilakos N,
Arnebrant T, Rundergren J. In vitro interactions of delmopinol
hydrochloride with salivary films adsorbed at solid/liquid
interfaces. Caries Res.
1993;27:176-182.
7 Data on file at
Merial Inc.
About Merial
Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company,
providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health
and well-being of a wide range of animals. Merial employs 6,500
people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide with over
€2 billion of sales in 2014. Merial is a Sanofi company. For more
information, please see www.merial.com.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader,
discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused
on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in diabetes
solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare,
emerging markets, animal health and Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in
Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in
New York (NYSE: SNY).
Forward-Looking Statements
This press
release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical
facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their
underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives,
intentions and expectations with respect to future financial
results, events, operations, services, product development and
potential, and statements regarding future performance.
Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words
"expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates",
"plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management
believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that
forward-looking information and statements are subject to various
risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and
generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual
results and developments to differ materially from those expressed
in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and
statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other
things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development,
future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing,
decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA,
regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or
biological application that may be filed for any such product
candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other
matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential
of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the
product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the
future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives,
the Group's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities,
trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, the impact
of cost containment policies and subsequent changes thereto, the
average number of shares outstanding as well as those discussed or
identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by
Sanofi, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual
report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2014. Other than as required by
applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
Contacts:
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Media
Relations
Mary Kathryn
Steel
Tel.:
908-989-0726
Email:
USMediaRelations@Sanofi.com
|
Investor
Relations
George Grofik
Tel.: 908-981-5560
Email: IR@sanofi.com
|
|
Merial
Media
Relations
Heidi De
Wit-Sommerfeld
Tel.: +1 678 638
3763
Mobile: +1 404 353
1104
Email:
heidi.dewit-sommerfeld@merial.com
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SOURCE Sanofi; Merial