Abstract
BackgroundThere is a continuing need for novel approaches to tick infestations treatment and control in cats. Lotilaner, an isoxazoline with rapid onset of action, has proven its efficacy against ticks in laboratory studies. A study was undertaken to confirm lotilaner’s efficacy and safety in client-owned cats, at the minimum dose of 6.0 mg/kg, against the most common ticks infesting cats in Europe.MethodsTwenty clinics in Germany, Hungary and Portugal participated in the study. Households with no more than three cats were randomized 2:1 to a lotilaner or fipronil group. The first household cat with at least three live, attached ticks was the primary cat. Treatments were dispensed on days 0, 28 and 56 for owner administration. Tick counts were performed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 (primary cats) and supplementary cats were assessed for safety only, on days 28, 56 and 84. Efficacy was assessed by comparing mean day 0 live attached tick counts with subsequent counts.ResultsMost frequently retrieved ticks were Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Dermacentor reticulatus, with Ixodes hexagonus also present. In the lotilaner group (n = 112) efficacy (based on geometric mean tick counts) was between 98.3–100%. For fipronil (n = 57), efficacy was between 89.6–99.6%, with live attached ticks present on some cats at all time points. Mean tick counts in lotilaner-treated cats were significantly lower than in fipronil-treated cats on days 21, 28, 42 and 56 (P < 0.05). The mean percent efficacy over all post-enrolment visits was 99.6% and 96.4% (lotilaner and fipronil group, respectively), (P < 0.0001). Lotilaner was superior to fipronil for efficacy averaged over all time points (P < 0.0001) and on individual assessment days (day 14 to 70, P < 0.0394); it was non-inferior to fipronil on the other days. Owners successfully administered all treatments, and both products were well tolerated.ConclusionsCredelioTM was effective and safe for the treatment of tick infestations in client-owned cats. Efficacy lasted one month and lotilaner was superior to fipronil on most assessment days. Cure rates ranged between 94.5–100% for lotilaner and 68.4–98.2% for fipronil.
Highlights
There is a continuing need for novel approaches to tick infestations treatment and control in cats
There were 112 and 57 primary cats enrolled in the investigational veterinary product (IVP) and control product (CP) group, respectively, comprising the ITT population
Four animals were excluded from the statistical analysis of specific study days; four animals had missing visits and three animals of the efficacy population did not complete the study meeting the criteria for premature removal
Summary
There is a continuing need for novel approaches to tick infestations treatment and control in cats. Favourable epidemiological conditions due to climate change and changing human behaviours leading to increased risk of tick exposure for humans and pets, have been linked to a widening geographical spread and increasing abundance of the ixodid ticks, Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus [1,2,3,4]. There are reports of resistance or tolerance to common topically applied acaricides [5]. This highlights the need for novel approaches to the treatment of tick infestations in pets. Acting with a unique mode of action, these molecules have been shown to be effective in treating ectoparasitic infestations on dogs [6,7,8]
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