USEFUL LINKS

REST ASSURED—
VETMEDIN has been proven safe for over 15 years of worldwide use

Rigorous licensing studies demonstrated VETMEDIN is safe and well-tolerated^1,2

A 56-day field study involving 355 dogs confirmed the safety of VETMEDIN in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) due to atrioventricular valvular insufficiency (AVVI) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) over a 2-month treatment period.
An extended-use field study provided further evidence of VETMEDIN safety in dogs with CHF resulting from AVVI or DCM when used in combination with other appropriate CHF therapy for periods of at least 6 months.²

Common Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of VETMEDIN were poor appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, dyspnea, azotemia, weakness, and ataxia. The prevalence of side effects was similar in the active control group (enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitor).

The incidence of new arrhythmias was also similar between the group treated with VETMEDIN and the enalapril-treated active control. Only 39.4% of dogs treated with VETMEDIN developed new arrhythmias versus 45% of active control dogs treated with the ACE inhibitor enalapril.

QUEST study confirms VETMEDIN safety^3,4

The international QUEST study was the largest study of its kind to be conducted in dogs with CHF. It studied 260 dogs in 11 countries over 3 years. Recently, investigators analyzed secondary endpoints more closely.
VETMEDIN was well-tolerated and caused few adverse events.³
Observed adverse events in both the VETMEDIN (n=18) and ACE inhibitor (n=17) groups were very similar.³
Gastrointestinal disorders were most common (n=6 and 4, respectively), followed by abnormal behavior, such as lethargy, confusion, or uneasiness (n=3 and 4, respectively). Three dogs treated with VETMEDIN were reported to have had a seizure.
VETMEDIN-treated dogs had less cardiac enlargement after therapy as demonstrated by significantly lower median vertebral heart score.⁴

Adverse events reported in VetSCOPE study were minimal

In the VetSCOPE trial, there were 3 adverse events in the VETMEDIN group and 1 in the ACE inhibitor group. Diarrhea, soft stool, and vomiting occurred in the VETMEDIN group (1 dog each) and colitis occurred in the ACE inhibitor group.

Proven track record of successful use worldwide

Veterinarians around the world have demonstrated VETMEDIN to be safe and effective for over 15 years. VETMEDIN was first licensed for use in dogs with CHF.²

Since then, more than 300 million doses of VETMEDIN have been sold in the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, and Japan.⁵

In addition to proven use by practicing veterinarians in the US and around the world, positive experiences with VETMEDIN in clinical trials have been reported in peer-reviewed journals.^3,6,7

Important safety information

VETMEDIN should not be given in case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, or any other clinical condition where an augmentation of cardiac output is inappropriate for functional or anatomical reasons.

The safety of VETMEDIN has not been established in dogs with:

Asymptomatic heart disease
Heart failure caused by etiologies other than atrioventricular valvular insufficiency or dilated cardiomyopathy
Dogs younger than 6 months of age
Dogs with congenital heart defects
Dogs with diabetes mellitus or other serious metabolic diseases
Dogs used for breeding or pregnant or lactating bitches

* All doses provided as tablets.

References:

1. VETMEDIN^® (pimobendan) Chewable Tablets [package insert]. St. Joseph, MO: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.; 2007. 2. VETMEDIN^® (pimobendan) Chewable Tablets [Freedom of Information Summary]. St. Joseph, MO: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.; 2007. 3. Häggström J, Boswood A, O’Grady M, et al. Effect of pimobendan or benazepril hydrochloride on survival times in dogs with congestive heart failure caused by naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease: the QUEST study. J Vet Intern Med. 2008;22(5):1124–1135. 4. Häggström J, Boswood A, O’Grady M, et al. Longitudinal analysis of quality of life, clinical, radiographic, echocardiographic, and laboratory variables in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease receiving pimobendan or benazepril: the QUEST study. J Vet Intern Med. 2013;27(6):1441–1451. 5. Data on file, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. 6. Lombard CW, Jöns O, Bussadori CM; for the VetSCOPE Study. Clinical efficacy of pimobendan versus benazepril for the treatment of acquired atrioventricular valvular disease in dogs. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2006;42(4):249–261. 7. Luis Fuentes V, Corcoran B, French A, Schober KE, Kleemann R, Justus C. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of pimobendan in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy. J Vet Intern Med. 2002;16(3):255–261.