Beyond Navicular Disease: Racing Commissioners Call for Regulation of Bisphosphonates in Sale Horses

Portions of the following information is edited from a press release:

The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) is formally calling for the independent regulation of the breeding and sales industries, including regulation of the class of drugs known as bisphosphonates, which are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of navicular disease.

Navicular Syndrome: Does FDA Approval of Tildren and Osphos Change Anything?

From bone to zone: Focus on navicular-type lameness has evolved from concentrating on identifying bone defects visible in radiography to a more dynamic approach to also detect possible soft tissue injury, deteriorating hoof condition and age- or sport-related stress factors. The navicular bone is circled in this distal limb bone model at the University of Nottingham Vet School.

The landscape of treatment options for equine navicular syndrome is set to change this year, as the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) recently approved two drugs for use in the treatment of this complex lameness problem in the horse's foot. "Tildren" and "Osphos" are two specific medications that cleared the difficult hurdles of the FDA approval process in May 2014.