Metacam indication expanded to guinea pigs

Boehringer Ingelheim’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicine Metacam (meloxicam) has been on the market for 25 years. It is a non-steroidal drug (NSAID) used to treat large and small animals ranging from horses to cats, to alleviate pain and inflammation after surgery or when associated with acute or chronic musculo-skeletal disorders like osteoarthritis.
Metacam for small animals has annual net sales of more than €70 million and is the leader in the European NSAID market. It has now been approved in the EU for guinea pigs, to treat mild to moderate post-operative pain associated with soft tissue surgery such as male castration. Diagnosis in guinea pigs can be tricky because they tend to hide their pain, but according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, “pain associated with surgery is 100 per cent predictable and is treatable”. Boehringer Ingelheim now offers the first NSAID in the EU for the relief of post-surgical pain in guinea pigs with Metacam 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for cats and guinea pigs.
Shawn Hooker, global head of strategic business unit pet vet at Boehringer Ingelheim said: “As the market leader, it is our ambition to set new standards of care. We constantly invest in our brands – independent of their age – to prevent pain and suffering in animals. We believe that treating pain is a matter of animal welfare and that it should be standard of care in all species regardless of their size and number.”