SADER Approves MSD Bravecto for Screwworm Treatment in Dogs

Mexico’s Secretaria de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) has approved MSD Animal Health’s Bravecto (Fluralaner) Chew Tableta Masticable for the treatment of New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) larvae infestations in dogs. Announced on 24 August 2026, the approval extends Bravecto’s franchise into an emergency-use regulatory pathway and directly follows the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization for Zoetis’ Simparica TRIO against NWS in the US earlier in August.

Approval was supported by a Brazilian clinical study on 15 naturally infested dogs, in which 100% of treated dogs exhibited complete clearance of live larvae from lesions within 24 hours of a single oral Bravecto dose. Overall larvicidal efficacy reached 94.36%, and no expelled larvae successfully pupated or emerged as adult flies. The treatment was well tolerated. Mexico has recorded 37,236 NWS cases across animal species between November 2024 and July 2026, with 8,518 in dogs, making canines the second most-affected species. NWS causes severe traumatic myiasis in mammals, and Mexico has around 43.8 million dogs and 71.7% household pet ownership.

Alejandro Sánchez, technical manager for MSD Animal Health’s Companion Animals Business Unit in Mexico, positioned the approval as delivering evidence-supported clinical decision-making tools for veterinarians. MSD Animal Health is actively pursuing regulatory approvals for the NWS indication in additional countries. Bravecto was introduced in 2014 and has distributed more than 450 million doses across 100 countries over a decade. The Mexican approval places Bravecto in direct competitive tension with Zoetis’ Simparica TRIO, which secured a US FDA Emergency Use Authorization for the NWS indication in August 2026; both are isoxazoline-class antiparasitic drugs.

The commercial signal is an accelerating global regulatory response to NWS as major companion animal parasiticide manufacturers move to secure indication expansions across affected geographies. MSD Animal Health’s Mexico approval strategically front-runs Zoetis and other competitors in Latin America. Expect Boehringer Ingelheim (NexGard), Elanco (Credelio) and other isoxazoline players to sharpen their positioning across NWS-endemic markets through 2027.

For the latest updates and in-depth insights into the world of Animal Health, including breakthrough treatments, industry trends, and regulatory news, contact Albert Baines today!