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Testimonials

Since Tri-Solfen® was commercially launched, over 150 million lambs have been treated and over 80% of Australian wool growers are now using Tri-Solfen for their sheep. Here’s what some of them have to say…

‘We have used pain relief for two years now and seen real production gains. We are concerned for the welfare of our animals and will continue to use pain relief to ensure they get the best care.’

Clinton Wise– Wililoo Merino Stud, Woodanilling, W.A.

'It easy to see the difference pain relief makes. Before, lambs would walk away hunched up, even taking a couple of hours to walk back to the paddock. Now they run straight back to Mum and start suckling,” says Rod. “My wool is now sold under the Better Choices brand. I see this as a definite advantage. I think it will be an advantage in the long run, to both me and the industry as a whole.'

Rod Miller– Glenpaen Merino Stud, Horsham, Vic

'After being treated with pain relief my lambs were more content and less stressed. As farmers we are sincere in looking after the welfare of our animals and using pain relief demonstrates this.'

Richard Coole– Frankland, W.A.

'We have been using pain relief for the past three years. We’re impressed by reduced bleeding in the mulesing wound immediately after application. Lambs run straight back to find the ewe, which has dramatically reduced our mortality rates. Flock management, post lamb marking is easier due to the effect of pain relief and the scab healing faster.'

Ryan & Malcom O’Dea– Peepingee Merino Stud, Narrogin, W.A.

'Using pain relief eases the stress and allows lambs to mother up and move back to the paddock easier with faster weight gains.'

Kent Lummis– Waverley Downs, Gilgandra, NSW

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Country Species Patent
Australia Sheep Granted
Australia Horses, Dogs, Lab animals Granted
Australia Cattle Granted
Australia Humans Granted
New
Zealand
Sheep,
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New
Zealand
Horses, Dogs, Lab animals Granted
EU Humans Granted
EU Pig, Sheep,
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USA Dogs, Horses, Lab animals Granted
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Advisory Board

Ian Page

Non-Executive Director

Ian is Chief Executive Officer of Dechra Pharmaceuticals, which has a 33% shareholder in Medical Ethics. He joined National Veterinary Services, Dechra’s former services business in 1989 and joined the Board of Dechra in 1997. In October 2010, Ian was appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of Sanford DeLand Asset Management.

Dr Chris Roberts

Human Wound and Regulatory Advisor

Chris has over 20 years’ line management experience of heading clinical research teams. He was previously global head of Smith & Nephew clinical support and market development, where he managed global clinical Phase II and III programmes in the management of venous and pressure ulcers.

Lieutenant Colonel Professor Steven Jeffery

Medical Specialist Advisor

Steve has over 15 years’ experience in military plastic surgery. In 2011 he was awarded the Military Civilian Partnership Award for ‘Regular of the Year’, as well as receiving the Wounds UK ‘Key Contribution’ award and the Smith and Nephew ‘Customer Pioneer of the Year’ award. He has also been awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England ad eundum. He is an expert adviser to NICE Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme. Steve co-founded the Woundcare 4 Heroes charity, which is already making a big difference to the wound care of both serving and veteran personnel.

Dr Matthew Bayfield

Medical Specialist Scientific Director

Dr Matthew Bayfield, Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Strathfield Private Hospital and VMO Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Professor Peter Windsor

Veterinarian Research Advisor

Peter is a registered specialist veterinary surgeon in New South Wales and an emeritus Professor at Sydney University. He holds a BVSc (Hons), PhD, DVSc and diploma from the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management.

Dr Julian Braidwood

Global Regulatory Affairs Advisor

Julian has held leadership roles and managed international clinical projects with Grampian. He was previously Regulatory Affairs Manager at Novartis Animal Health. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Triveritas, where he is responsible for a team of 40 animal health specialists across the EU and the US.

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Mulesing pain relief feasible

July 30, 2011

INTRAMUSCULAR pain relief for lambs before mulesing, tail-docking and castration is feasible, New South Wales woolgrower, Martin Oppenheimer, said this week.

After seeing lambs successfully injected with the pre-operative pain relief compound, Xylazine, near Goulburn in New South Wales last week, Mr Oppenheimer said any on-farm logistical issues could be overcome.The compound Xylazine is being trialled by the University of Sydney Veterinary School in partnership with the creator of the post-operative Tri-Solfen mulesing pain-relief spray, Animal Ethics, and research partner, Bayer.

“It just shows how the sheep and wool industry can be proactive and solve some of the concerns of consumers and animal welfare lobbyists,” Mr Oppenheimer said.

“We can’t avoid the animal welfare lobby, and things like the live export debacle show how these issues are with us and can interfere with our trade.

“For less than 30 cents – and a bit of thinking to get the procedure implemented in the yards – I am sure that growers will adopt it,” he said.

Depending on trial results, the company hoped to have a product ready for release within 12 months. The pre-operative Xylazine treatment is expected to involve an intramuscular injection in lambs about 20 minutes before any surgical procedure takes place. Tri-Solfen is applied after any surgical procedure.

“It doesn’t require any extra labour, you just have to be a little bit better organised,” Mr Oppenheimer said.

Pre-operative Xylazine pain relief would be a great breakthrough if a dose rate could be set and it did not need further registration, he added.

However, Sheepmeat Council of Australia president, Kate Joseph, believed the potential double-handling of lambs would be “totally impractical”, and might be more stressful to the animals.

She was concerned about the possibility of meat damage with an intramuscular injection, and said ideally any injections were given to sheep high up on the neck.

“If they are going to do something it has got to work immediately, and have had all the testing done with withholding periods and export slaughter intervals.

“It must be something where you only have to handle them once.”

Ms Joseph said she recognised the need for producers to think about options for surgical mulesing, tail docking and castration.

“For it to be accepted, the options have to be cheap, practical and realistic.”

Animal Ethics director, Meredith Sheil, said the Xylazine research with the University of Sydney was not working on a quicker acting pre-operative analgesic “at the moment”, nor looking at developing a subcutaneous injectable.

Dr Sheil said an effective pre-operative treatment that could be given as the lambs were put in a cradle “obviously would be ideal”, but most of the medications that acted immediately were probably not safe, effective or practical for farmers to use without a veterinarian being present.

“There is no indication that Xylazine causes any sort of meat problem, such as ulceration.

“That’s just a red herring, completely out of the blue.”

Dr Sheil said Xylazine is used already in sheep and other animals as a sedative administered intramuscularly on farms and in veterinary practices. Xylazine was approved to be given intramuscularly and wasn’t an immunogen designed to elicit a reaction.

“It certainly wouldn’t be out there if there were those sort of concerns.”

It would not be necessary to follow Xylazine-treated lambs through to slaughter to assess any carcase effects, she said. Dr Sheil believed effects of Xylazine treatment in sheep would have been covered in the initial registration process.

“If medications designed to be given subcutaneously were given intramuscularly there is a potential for muscle damage.

“Medications aren’t registered for use in animals where they cause unintended damage like muscle ulceration.”

RSPCA Australia’s scientific officer for farm animals, Melina Tensen, said producers would not be waiting half an hour for the sedative effect to work before operating on all their lambs.

“It’s only the initial batch you have to wait for and once you get started you can be working on the lambs already sedated in the cradles, while the next batch is in the race being sedated.”

Animal Liberation executive director, Mark Pearson, did not believe the stress on lambs would be increased by getting an intramuscular injection before being lifted into a cradle for mulesing, castration or tail docking.

Dr Sheil said Animal Ethics would not be promoting a pre-operative analgesic treatment for sheep unless it was safe, effective and reliable.