Aglepristone

Aglepristone: Uses, Dosage and Side Effects

Overview

An injectable solution, its action depends on the elimination of progesterone support for up to 7 days resulting from blocking progesterone receptors.

Uses of Aglepristone

• Termination of pregnancy throughout pregnancy.
• Treatment of pyometra in dogs, although recurrence is not unusual especially in older bitches.
• Induction of parturition in dogs and cats in combination with oxytocin.
• Treat progesterone-induced acromegaly in dogs and progesterone-induced fibroadenomatous mammary hyperplasia in cats.
• Insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus in intact bitches for which ovariectomy/ovariohysterectomy is not an option

Dose of Aglepristone in Dogs and Cats

Dogs: 5 ml maximum per any injection site.

• To end a pregnancy, administer two doses of 10 mg/kg s.c. and repeat it after 24 hours.
• Progesterone-induced acromegaly: 10 mg/kg s.c. every 24 hours for two doses, followed by every 7 days for three more doses.
• Pyometra: 10 mg/kg s.c. on days 1, 2 and 7. Additional doses may be given on days 14 and 21 if there is an inadequate response.
• Insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus in intact bitches for which ovariectomy/ovariohysterectomy is not an option:  With PZI insulin, giving 10 mg/kg SC at days 1, 2, 9, and 17 during the luteal phase improved glycemic control in diabetic bitches with diestrus-induced insulin resistance.
• Benign vaginal tumors: 10 mg/kg SC on days 1, 2, 8, 15, 28, and 35
• Progesterone receptor-positive mammary carcinomas: 20 mg/kg SC on days 1 and 8. On day 15

Cats: 5 ml maximum per any injection site.

• To end a pregnancy, administer two doses of 15 mg/kg s.c. every 24 hours.
• Mammary Fibroadenomatous hyperplasia: 20 mg/kg s.c. every seven days.
• Pyometra: 15 mg/kg s.c. on days 1, 2 and 7. Additional doses may be given on days 14 and 21 if there is an inadequate response with concurrent antibiotic therapy.

Side Effects of Aglepristone in Dogs and Cats

• Temporary discomfort at the injection site.
• Abortion may be followed by physiological symptoms of parturition, such as foetal ejection, anorexia, and mammary congestion, in heifers/queens treated after the 20th day of gestation.

Contraindications of Aglepristone in Dogs and Cats

Avoiding in dogs with diagnosed or suspected hypoadrenocorticism.

Some Notes:

• Best given in bitches at the end of oestrus or beginning of metoestrus and straight after suspected mating in queens as they are induced ovulators.
• When used after 30 days, bitches and queens will abort rather than absorb.
• May be unsuccessful when used in pro-oestrus and early oestrus in bitches as progesterone has not yet risen or sperm survival may be longer than activity of aglepristone.
• Accidental injection may be a hazard to women who are pregnant or intending to become pregnant.
• There are some interactions with these drugs: Progestins (combined use could theoretically reduce the efficacy of each other), Glucocorticoids (Aglepristone could reduce the efficacy of glucocorticoid treatment), Ketoconazole, Itraconazole and Erythromycin (May interact with aglepristone presumably via inhibiting CYP3A and/or P-glycoprotein)