Field effectiveness and safety of fluralaner plus moxidectin (Bravecto® Plus) against ticks and fleas: a European randomized, blinded, multicenter field study in naturally-infested client-owned cats

Abstract

BackgroundA spot-on formulation containing fluralaner (280 mg/ml) plus moxidectin (14 mg/ml) (Bravecto® Plus) has been developed to provide broad spectrum parasite protection for cats. The effectiveness and safety of this product against ticks and fleas was assessed in a randomized, controlled, 12-week study in client-owned cats in Germany and Spain.MethodsEligible households containing at least one cat with at least two fleas and/or two ticks were allocated randomly in a 2:1 ratio to a single treatment with fluralaner plus moxidectin on Day 0, or three 4-weekly treatments with fipronil (Frontline®). Veterinary staff, masked to treatment, completed tick and flea counts on each cat at 14 ± 2 (2 weeks), 28 ± 2 (4 weeks), 56 ± 2 (8 weeks) and 84 ± 2 days (12 weeks) after the initial treatment.ResultsIn total, 707 cats (257 with ticks) from 332 households (236 with fleas) were included. Ixodes ricinus (78%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex (18%) ticks were the most commonly identified. Tick and flea counts were lower in the fluralaner plus moxidectin group than in the fipronil group throughout the study and the efficacy of fluralaner plus moxidectin exceeded 97 and 98%, respectively. At 12 weeks, 94.1 and 93.3% of cats from the fluralaner plus moxidectin and 92.2 and 60.3% of cats from the fipronil group were free of ticks and fleas, respectively. Fluralaner plus moxidectin was non-inferior to fipronil (P < 0.0001) at all assessments and superior to fipronil at 2 and 8 weeks for the proportion of cats free of ticks (P < 0.0001). Fluralaner plus moxidectin was superior to fipronil for the proportion of both households and cats free of fleas (P < 0.0001). Both products were safe and well tolerated.ConclusionsA single application of fluralaner plus moxidectin spot-on was well tolerated by cats and highly effective for 12 weeks against ticks and fleas. Fluralaner plus moxidectin was non-inferior to fipronil for the proportion of ectoparasite-free and consistently superior to fipronil in controlling fleas.

Usability Comparison Study of Spot-on Formulations of Parasiticides in Cats

“…It is well-known that endoparasites and ectoparasites are harmful to the health and welfare of cats therefore, an important part of preventive health care in cats is the control of parasite infestations [4]. Topical spot-on formulation is one of the most popular parasiticides in veterinary practice.…”

“…The benefits of a spot-on parasiticides include; a broad spectrum of activity, a low rate of adverse effects and ease of use, activity of parasiticides available to cat owners. However, there is an ongoing need for formulations with the potential to improve owner compliance with veterinary treatment recommendation [4]. Therefore, the usability of these parasiticides in terms of, such features as satisfaction should be determined in clinical use.…”

Open field study on the efficacy of fluralaner topical solution for long-term control of flea bite allergy dermatitis in client owned cats in Ile-de-France region

“…The fluralaner (280 mg/ml) medication (Bravecto® spot-on for cats) was provided in pipettes containing 0.4, 0.89 and 1.79 ml for cats weighing 1.2–2.8 kg, > 2.8–6.25 kg and > 6.25–12.5 kg respectively. Treatment was applied on the skin at the base of the skull and of cats on a single occasion at Day 0, at a dose rate of 40–94 mg fluralaner body weight [14].…”

Cat Respiratory Nematodes: Current Knowledge, Novel Data and Warranted Studies on Clinical Features, Treatment and Control

“…A recent multicentered field study has proved that the topical parasiticides containing 2% moxidectin (plus fluralaner) and 2.1% emodepside (plus praziquantel) have the potential to eliminate (efficacy 100%) Capillaria spp. eggs from the feces of naturally infected cats [ 122 ]. Again, these eggs were not identified at the species level; thus, precise values for C. aerophila are unavailable for these products.…”