Boehringer Ingelheim receives EU approval for pain relief therapy Metacam

Boehringer Ingelheim has received EU approval for Metacam, an analgesic to relieve pain following dehorning in calves.

The product, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the oxicam class, was originally released in 1998 and has been approved in this new indication following positive results from clinical trials.

It was shown that calves treated with the drug significantly reduced cortisol increases, a physiological marker for the response of the body to stress and pain, while also resulting in lower heart and respiratory rates and a quicker return to normal behaviour patterns.

Metacam becomes the first non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug specifically approved and available in the EU for this purpose.

George Heidgerken, head of the animal health corporate division at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "Metacam now offers both veterinarians and farmers an authorised and provenly effective option to properly address the issue of pain relief following a routine husbandry procedure.

This comes after the company opened a new European veterinary research centre in Hanover earlier this year to support the continued growth of its animal health business.