Great News! NEW EPM Medication! 10 day treatment!

[Domino_spal]

Hey Everyone, please feel free to contact me for info. and feel free to cross post!

One of my LOVELY 5 yo TB mares came down with Sudden Onset EPM on Thursday. She is extremely wobbley in her hind-end. My vet did blood work and we decided to over-night Marquis to start her on treatment.

I am a trained EPIDEMIOLOGIST or an “outbreak” specialist. My sister told me of a new treatment for EPM. I asked my vet about it and she found out that it is not federally approved yet BUT they are doing a research trial. I called the company and they accepted my mare, Emma, into the field trial.

They have had HUGE success with this product. Over 96% completly healed in 10 days with the other 4 % doing well with an immune booster.

The medication is on it’s way! I will keep everyone posted on the results.

The company also wants to work with me to do research on EPM.

I am so relieved to find this product. I had to share!

When it is federally approved it will cost only 150 dollars for the treatment and does not have the side effects of the current meds.

A true miracle!

[Flying_Ponies]

Is the “new” drug Levamisole?

[Domino_spal]

It is called OROQUIN-10

[Flying_Ponies]

From the Pathogenes website:

Oroquin-10 is a highly effective anti-coccidiocidal drug compounded with an immune stimulant, Levamisole. The quinalone drug kills intracellular protozoa more rapidly and at a lower dose than conventional agents used to treat EPM by targeting protozoan mitochondria. In vitro cell assays determined that S. neurona and Neospora hughesi are eliminated at one tenth the dose of other coccidial agents used in EPM. The oral compound begins killing within 1 day. A prevention stratagy can be used to eliminate chronic relapsing EPM at 1/100th the costs of conventional therapy…

[Domino_spal]

They only use the immune stimulant in less than 4 % of the cases.

I am excited to be part of this trial and hope it will help other horses.

Sounds like you are not a proponent, any reason why?

[Flying_Ponies]

I see. Honestly, I am all for ANYTHING that helps EPM horses . Such a frustrating difficult disease…Just curious about the “New” part of the statement, since Levamisole is not really new, but sort of ‘reworked’. I hope it helps!

[deltawave]

Oh Lord, not another Oroquin thread! Please?

How much did you have to pay to be included in the (non-randomized, non-peer-reviewed, non-blinded) “trial”? :no:

Extremely promising, but being handled (IMO) VERY badly by people that are clearly very passionate but (IMO) are forcing this through before the actual data are there in (IMO) a very non-ethical manner.

[Domino_spal]

I do not get why people are so negative. Ugh…I have a PHD in this stuff! AND…there is NO CHARGE! JUST send blood for their research.

I am happy to help other horses and I am looking toward to sharing the results.

[Ghazzu]

Levamisole may not have the same side effects as “current meds”, but it does have side effects of its own…

[Domino_spal]

I am willing to take the risk based on the current stats. And hope it will help others in the future.

I will update after treatment!

[deltawave]

People who are scientists have a healthy respect for the scientific method, which does not permit skipping steps or making gigantic leaps of faith. Passion has its place in the pursuit of new treatments, but it can’t be allowed to blind a researcher into taking short cuts and calling it proper science.

The players in this case seem (IMO!) to be putting the cart before the horse and taking this product to the public before the work is done.

[deltawave]

So with a PhD in Epidemiology, how impressed are you by the statistical methods being used in “studying” this drug? With the study design? The placebo arm? The robustness of the database to date?

Because although my advanced degree is not in epidemiology specifically, I am completely unimpressed by all of the above and think it is rather bad science, to be honest. Maybe the drug IS marvelous and a godsend-in-the-making, but they sure are going about it in an odd way. :no:

I’ve had a horse with EPM, too. It sucks right out loud. The temptation is almost too massive to be resisted to use “anything” that might even promise to help. But as an epidemiologist, you realize this is not the way to base a hypothesis, yes?

[Domino_spal]

It is a research drug and not federally approved. But again, based on the stats, I am happy to be a small part in this research. Not unethical as it is fully disclosed. BTW: They also do HUMAN clinical trials. This is the same.

[deltawave]

Did you sign a disclosure and informed consent? Genuinely curious. I have great reservations about their “stats”, personally, but to each their own. I wish they had done a LOT more preliminary work before bringing this right out and selling it as a NEW EPM Medication! :no: I also have a BIG problem with the claim that the drug is “non toxic to animals”.

Maybe in theory this is “the same” as a human phase I or II clinical trial, but unless there is a LOT more documentation, validation of specific diagnosis, use of control groups, etc. I would argue that the attempt here is not even close. Is there, perhaps, a lot more robust paperwork/consent/diagnostic data included for those who are actually participating?

[Ghazzu]

BTW, you do realize that the website in your sig is a dead link, don’t you?
And no, this is emphatically not the “same” as human clinical trials.
It appears to be self-selection on the part of participants.

[Laurierace]

Just curious, do they pay you guys to come on here and tout the stuff as the next miracle? Give it to you free? It has been pushed down our throats so hard it is having the opposite effect on me. I feel if they have to go to these lengths to get the word out it must be bunk. COTHers are pretty savvy, if there is something novel that is legit we will find it and spread the word on it’s own merit. Not some greenie screaming from the rooftops. FYI stating your credentials in the OP casts doubt as well. If it really were that good who cares what you do for a living?

[oldhorsegirl]

Good Luck! Hope it works for your horse. If it doesn’t, you might take a look at a product called Sefacon–I’ve had excellent results on 3 different horses, with no problems relapsing–on any of the horses. Easy 10-day treatment (not as cheap as this stuff, but $200 cheaper than Marquis, and as I said, no relapsing).

www.endocrinetech.com/html/sefacon.htm

[AliCat518]

Wow, did the company give you the drugs in exchange for advertising? The coth community isn’t stupid. Sorry.

[JackieBlue]

Here we go again. I’m “chasing down” my PhD currently and I find it surprising that:

1. You don’t know how to “spell” PhD,
2. You’re completely unconcerned with the scientific method, and
3. You begin an inflammatory thread complete with block caps and multiple exclamation points in the title.

It’s also interesting that your first post and your diction are a little familiar. I’m having a very difficult time believing that an epidemiological expert would have this “science be damned” attitude, not to mention the naive tone of your posts doesn’t jive with who you claim to be. :sigh:

[JackieBlue]

OP, for your reference just in case you’re on the up and up:

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324582&highlight=epm

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328641&highlight=epm

What is your specific area of expertise? Where was your degree conferred? Have you had anything published? If I’m wrong here, you have my sincerest apology, but it looks to me like you’re a full time trainer/owner of Fast First Farm in North Carolina. All the BS surrounding Oroquin-10 has left me sensitized to those trying to add ingredients to the $h!t soup.