Clinical Trial Results in New Treatment

By: Terry L. Grieshaber, DVM, DACVD

Golden Retriever with Atopic dermatitis

On June 21 – 22, 2013, I attended a first-to-know meeting sponsored by Zoetis for its launch of Apoquel (oclacitinib). Oclacitinib is a Janus Kinase inhibitor which inhibits the function of many pruritogenic and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This drug was developed for the treatment of Atopic dermatitis in the dog. While I do not feel that oclacitinib should be used as a first line treatment for Atopic dermatitis, it is another option for treating this sometimes devastating disease. Oclacitinib will likely be available after January 1, 2014.

Circle City Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital has been involved in conducting clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of oclacitinib for the past several years. My team and I are proud that we were able to contribute in even a small way to bringing this drug to market. Developing new treatment modalities is not a small undertaking and requires a true team. I thank those veterinarians who referred cases for these clinical trials and those clients (and patients) who chose to participate. Watch our e-mail newsletters and website for further updates.

Note: An additional and completely separate clinical trail for Atopic dermatitis is currently being conducted in our Dermatology Department where patients may still be enrolled. If you would like more information on this 2013 study, click here or contact our Dermatology Department.