horse play

bpo ann out:

BioProspect conducts screening trials to test Bioeffectives® on horses for gastrointestinal condition.
BioProspect Ltd (ASX: BPO) announced today that a screening trial testing Bioeffectives® on Arabian horses to reduce the effects of EGUS (Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome) has commenced.1
The trial is being conducted under veterinary supervision from the Sharjah Equine Hospital with 10 Arabian horses located at the Albidayer Stud in Sharjah, one of the emirates within the United Arab Emirates, (U.A.E).
The stud is owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Qasimi, a prominent U.A.E Royal Family member and internationally recognised breeder of highly valuable Arabian bloodstock lines.
Sheikh Mohammed and his stud manager, Ms. Dawn Martin are keen to promote the testing of naturally derived compounds like Bioeffectives® due to their low toxicity and side-effects characteristics.
Trial Objective
The screening of Bioeffective® A has been established to ascertain any immediate effect on Arabian horses that have positively identified ulcers in their stomachs using endoscopic equipment. The ulcer is graded at the start and finish of the trial in accordance with known protocols and guidelines. Based on the results, BioProspect will look at further testing in Australia and New Zealand on a larger scale using a calculated dose rate and application regime.
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What is EGUS?
EGUS is one of the horse industry’s most common complaints. It is a broad term used to describe a wide array of clinical and behavioral symptoms that arise from the development of ulcers in a horse’s stomach. There is a prevalence of EGUS in horses used in many competitive activities such as dressage, racing and show jumping. Gastric ulceration affects a large number of horses and it is quite common to see figures of up to 90% in race horses, particularly for horses that are housed under cover on a continual basis.
The cause of EGUS is thought to be a combination of diet, stress related activity and behaviour. The actual ulcers are formed following the continual production of stomach acids that are not controlled by regular intakes of food. Horses under training and stress-related activities also have a propensity to produce more stomach acids. The net effect for owners and managers of horses with the condition is that it leads to poor performance and behaviour. It is sometimes difficult to diagnose externally, which in turn can make it difficult to treat.
Current Treatments
The registered medicated treatments used to combat EGUS all focus on either the suppression of gastric acids into the stomach (H2 Antagonists and Proton Pump Inhibitors), mucosal protectants within the stomach (Sucralfate) or reducing the effect of increased acid levels in the stomach (Antacids). There are some products available that induce gastric emptying.
All are synthetically derived active ingredients that are formulated for use under veterinary supervision or advice. In general terms they are expensive for complete courses and have varying levels of success.
The use of naturally derived compounds like Bioeffectives® have a lot of potential due to their immediate activity on an ulcer in the horse’s stomach as well as a prolonged effect on a horse’s metabolism to aid in infection control and recovery from stress-related conditions. It is also thought that a dose regime on a continual basis in horse feeds as a supplement might aid in the resistance to ulcer development.
Results of the screening trial are due within the next few weeks and from there BioProspect will investigate larger trials and commercial partners with the aim of fast tracking the acceptability of Bioeffective® A as a suitable EGUS treatment.
Bioeffectives®
Bioeffective® A is a galenical complex extracted from the green needles of Scotch Pine (Pinus silvestris) and Norwegian Spruce (Picea abies) using patented technology owned by Solagran Limited (ASX:SLA). BioProspect is evaluating a number of Bioeffectives® in the animal health, nutrition and veterinary medicine markets. It holds an exclusive license for the use of Bioeffectives® in these markets.
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Investigations in the companion animal markets like the equine industry are an attractive proposition due to the less rigorous regulatory requirements. Products with lower toxicity and side-effect characteristics that can perform as well as the synthetically derived compounds that are administered as medicated substances will gain in popularity as long as the results stack-up.
BioProspect is also conducting feeding studies in poultry in collaboration with The University of New England, School of Environmental and Rural Science and the first trial results are due very shortly.