Safety of imidacloprid plus moxidectin topical solution applied to cats heavily infected with adult heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis)

Abstract

A topically applied formulation containing 10% imidacloprid+1% moxidectin (Advocate^®/Advantage multi^®) has been developed for monthly application to cats for the prevention of feline heartworm (HW) disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis; and for the treatment and control of flea infestations, ear mite infestations, and intestinal nematode infections. A study model was designed to evaluate the safety of this product in cats harboring adult D. immitis infections. Eighty adult cats (40 males/40 females) were each inoculated with 60 third–stage D. immitis larvae on test day (TD) 1. On TD 243–245 echocardiographic imaging was performed on each cat to confirm and estimate the number of adult D. immitis residing in the cardiovascular system. A total of 35 cats were subsequently eligible for safety evaluation based on inclusion criteria. Four treatment groups were established and randomly selected for treatment: imidacloprid+moxidectin solution at the label dose (n=9) (group 1), imidacloprid+moxidectin solution at 5x the Iabel dose (n=9) (group 2), 6% selamectin topical solution (Revolution^®) at the label dose (positive control, n=8) (group 3), and topical treatment with placebo (negative control, n=9) (group 4). All cats were treated on TD 250. Treatments for groups 1, 3, and 4 were repeated on TDs 278 and 306. Group 2 cats were euthanized and examined for adult D. immitis on TD 288. All other cats were euthanized and examined for adult D. immitis on TD 334. No adverse events attributable to treatment with the test articles were observed during the study. The geometric mean numbers of adult D. immitis recovered at necropsy from treatment groups 1–4 were 2.9, 3.2., 4.0, and 2.7, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison of adult D. immitis recovered at necropsy (ANOVA overall group effect P–value of 0.5356). The results of this study demonstrate that imidacloprid+moxidectin topical solution can be used safely in cats heavily infected with adult D. immitis.