A new drug, Palladia, that is manufactured by the Pfizer Animal Health Inc., has been recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This drug is the first FDA-approved drug to treat cancer in dogs.
Dr. Ray Emerson, a veterinarian of 45 years, who is a specialist in treating dogs with surgery and chemotherapy, remarked that this drug will surely help the canine community by treating cancer. He also said that some dogs with cancer can be made to feel better with the usage of steroids.
From Wacotrib.com:
“You bet I would use it,” said Dr. Ray Emerson, a veterinarian of 45 years who treats dogs for cancer with chemotherapy and surgery.
Until now, all cancer drugs used in veterinary medicine were developed for use in humans and weren’t specifically approved for animals. Federal law allows vets to administer cancer medicines and other human treatments under controlled circumstances.
The new drug, Palladia, manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health Inc., has been approved to treat a type of cancer that accounts for about one in five cases of canine skin tumors. Canine cutaneous mast cell tumors can appear small and insignificant when dogs have them, but while some are easily removed, others can lead to life-threatening diseases, according to the FDA.
Emerson said he has not yet heard much about Palladia but would welcome its availability. He said people may not realize how much treatment of all types of cancers goes on in clinics like his.
“Most clinics basically use chemotherapy, but if a combination of chemotherapy and radiation is required, the animal is taken to an oncologist in Dallas or to Texas A&M,” Emerson said.
He added that some dogs with cancer can be made to feel better, though not necessarily cured, with the use of steroids.
Emerson said he does see skin cancer in his practice, but the most common cancer he encounters in dogs is breast cancer.
“Our therapy for those primarily is surgery,” Emerson said.
Palladia is considered to help immune system of the dog to attack a specific protein in the abnormal cells and acting as a useful treatment medium to treat canine cancer.
Until now, the Federal Law used to allow administration of cancer medications & other human treatment for animals under controlled conditions.
The approval of this drug has been welcomed by pet lovers and veterinarians from all parts of the world.
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