A new study may give regulators the key to better regulate bisphosphonate use in racing. Controversy has surrounded bisphosphonate use since the drug became approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in horses. Bisphosphonates are labeled for adult horses battling navicular syndrome and similar chronic conditions that don't respond to other types of treatment.
The FDA has licensed two bisphosphonates, which are sold under the trade names Tildren and Osphos. The Horse reports that there are other, non-licensed versions of bisphosphonates marketed for horses which are not FDA-approved. Those non-approved products are advertised as being more powerful than the two approved versions.
The FDA prohibits the use of bisphosphonates in horses younger than four years old, but some owners and trainers continue to use the product off-label on young horses. Bisphosphonates impact the build-up/breakdown cycle in bone, which veterinarians say could have negative effects on growing animals.
Dr. Christopher Riggs, chief advisor in veterinary science at The Hong Kong Jockey Club, studied 24 Thoroughbreds who had received a single therapeutic dose of tiludronate disodium between one month to three years earlier. The research team then tested blood plasma and urine samples using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography high‐resolution mass spectrometry, a new testing technology. The tests found traces of tiludronate disodium in every sample.
Previously, testing was only able to detect bisphosphonates in equine blood or urine if it had been administered in the last 40 days. Hair testing could detect an administration from months prior, but is limited in its ability to pinpoint the time of administration.
Researchers believe the drug lingers on the surface of bone, occasionally releasing back into the horse's body for months or years, but little is known about how long that effect could go on. The drug may be more detectable in horses that are going through training and rest periods that affect bone remodeling.
Read more at The Horse.
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