Mode of Action:
The primary target of action of spinosad, a component of Trifexis®, is an activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in insects. Spinosad does not interact with known insecticidal binding sites of other nicotinic or GABAergic insecticides such as neonicotinoids, fiproles, milbemycins, avermectins and cyclodienes. Insects treated with spinosad show involuntary muscle contractions and tremors resulting from activation of motor neurons. Prolonged spinosad-induced hyperexcitation results in prostration, paralysis and flea death. The selective toxicity of spinosad between insects and vertebrates may be conferred by the differential sensitivity of the insect versus vertebrate nAChRs.
Milbemycin oxime, a component of Trifexis®, acts by binding to glutamate-gated chloride ion channels in invertebrate nerve and muscle cells. Increased permeability by the cell membrane to chloride ions causes hyperpolarization of affected cells and subsequent paralysis and death of the intended parasites. Milbemycin oxime may also act by disrupting the transmission of invertebrate neurotransmitters, notably gamma amino butyric acid (GABA).
Effectiveness:
Heartworm Prevention:
In a well-controlled laboratory study, Trifexis® was 100% effective against induced heartworm infections when administered for 3 consecutive monthly doses. Two consecutive monthly doses did not provide 100% effectiveness against heartworm infection. In another well-controlled laboratory study, a single dose of Trifexis® was 100% effective against induced heartworm infections.
In a well-controlled six-month US field study conducted with Trifexis®, no dogs were positive for heartworm infection as determined by heartworm antigen testing performed at the end of the study and again three months later.
Flea Treatment and Prevention:
In a well-controlled laboratory study, Trifexis® demonstrated 100% effectiveness on the first day following treatment and 100% effectiveness on Day 30. In a well-controlled laboratory study, spinosad, a component of Trifexis®, began to kill fleas 30 minutes after administration and demonstrated 100% effectiveness within 4 hours. Spinosad, a component of Trifexis®, kills fleas before they can lay eggs. If a severe environmental infestation exists, fleas may persist for a period of time after dose administration due to the emergence of adult fleas from pupae already in the environment. In field studies conducted in households with existing flea infestations of varying severity, flea reductions of 98.0% to 99.8% were observed over the course of 3 monthly treatments with spinosad alone. Dogs with signs of flea allergy dermatitis showed improvement in erythema, papules, scaling, alopecia, dermatitis/pyodermatitis and pruritus as a direct result of eliminating the fleas.
Treatment and Control of Intestinal Nematode Infections:
In well-controlled laboratory studies, Trifexis® was = 90% effective in removing naturally and experimentally induced adult roundworm, whipworm and hookworm infections.
Palatability:
Trifexis® is a flavored chewable tablet. In a field study of client-owned dogs where 175 dogs were each offered Trifexis® once a month for 6 months, dogs voluntarily consumed 54% of the doses when offered plain as if a treat, and 33% of the doses when offered in or on food. The remaining 13% of doses were administered like other tablet medications.
Animal Safety:
Trifexis® was tested in pure and mixed breeds of healthy dogs in well-controlled clinical and laboratory studies. No dogs were withdrawn from the field studies due to treatment-related adverse reactions.
In a margin of safety study, Trifexis® was administered orally to 8-week-old Beagle puppies at doses of 1, 3, and 5 times the upper half of the therapeutic dose band, every 28 days for 6 dosing periods. Vomiting was seen in all groups including control animals with similar frequency. Adverse reactions seen during the course of the study were salivation, tremors, decreased activity, coughing and vocalization.
Body weights were similar between control and treated groups throughout the study. Treatment with Trifexis® was not associated with any clinically significant hematology, clinical chemistry or gross necropsy changes. One 5X dog had minimal glomerular lipidosis observed microscopically. The clinical relevance of this finding is unknown.
Plasma spinosyn A, spinosyn D, milbemycin A3 5-oxime and milbemycin A4 5-oxime concentrations increased throughout the study. At each dosing period, plasma spinosyn A and spinosyn D concentrations were greater than proportional across the dose range 1 to 5X. Plasma milbemycin A4 5-oxime concentrations appeared to be dose proportional across range 1 to 5X by the end of the study. Plasma concentrations of spinosad and milbemycin oxime indicate that expected systemic exposures were achieved throughout the study.
In an avermectin-sensitive Collie dog study, Trifexis® was administered orally at 1, 3 and 5 times the upper half of the recommended therapeutic dose band every 28 days. No signs of avermectin sensitivity were observed after administration of Trifexis® during the study period to avermectin-sensitive Collie dogs. The adverse reactions observed in the treatment groups were vomiting and diarrhea. Body weights in all treatment groups were comparable to the control group. Hematology and clinical chemistry parameters showed no clinically significant changes from study start to end, and all dogs were considered healthy throughout the study.
In a heartworm positive safety study, Trifexis® was administered orally at 1, 3, and 5 times the upper half of the therapeutic dose band to Beagle dogs with adult heartworm infections and circulating microfilariae, every 28 days for 3 treatments. Vomiting was observed in one dog in the 1X group, in three dogs in the 3X group, and in one dog in the 5X group. All but one incident of vomiting was observed on the treatment day during the first treatment cycle. The vomiting was mild and self-limiting. Hypersensitivity reactions were not observed in any of the treatment groups. Microfilariae counts decreased with treatment.
In a reproductive safety study, Trifexis® was administered orally to female dogs at 1 and 3 times the upper half of the therapeutic dose band every 28 days prior to mating, during gestation and during a six-week lactation period. Dogs with confirmed fetal heartbeats on ultrasound examination were evaluated for reproductive safety. One 3X and one 1X group female did not become pregnant. No treatment-related adverse reactions or signs of avermectin toxicosis were noted for adult females. Adult females in the 3X group lost weight during the 6-week pre-mating period, while control group females gained weight during that time. The body weights of the treated groups were comparable to the control group during gestation and post-parturition phases of the study. Gestation length, litter average body weight, litter size, stillborn pups, pup survival and the proportion of pups with malformations were comparable between treated and control dam groups. Malformations in the 1X group included a pup with cleft palate and a littermate with anophthalmia, fused single nares, misshapen palate, hydrocephalus, omphalocele and malpositioned testes; a pup with a malformation of the anterior tip of the urinary bladder and umbilical blood vessel; and a pup with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Malformations in the 3X group included three littermates with PDA. Malformations in the control group included a pup with a malformed sternum and a pup with PDA and a malpositioned superior vena cava. Clinical findings in pups of the treated groups were comparable to the control group except for one 1X group pup that was smaller and less coordinated than its littermates and had tremors when excited. The relationship between spinosad and milbemycin oxime treatment and the 1X and 3X dogs that did not become pregnant, the specific pup malformations and the unthrifty 1X group pup are unknown. The incidence of cleft palate is not unexpected based on the historical data collected at the breeding site.
In a margin of safety study with spinosad alone, 6-week old Beagle puppies were administered average doses of 1.5, 4.4 and 7.4 times the maximum recommended dose at 28-day intervals over a 6-month period. Vomiting was observed across all treatments, including controls, and was observed at an increased rate at elevated doses. Vomiting most often occurred 1 hour following administration and decreased over time and stabilized when puppies reached 14 weeks of age.
Storage Information:
Store at 20-25°C (68-77°F), excursions permitted between 15-30°C (59-86°F).
