Dechra has launched Zenalpha, an alpha-2 agonist and peripheral antagonist combination to alleviate the stress of sedation in dogs and maintain the stability of physiological parameters1.

Zenalpha provides restraint, sedation and analgesia during non-invasive, non-painful or mildly painful procedures and examinations intended to last no more than 30 minutes2. 

It is administered intramuscularly and takes effect within 5-15 minutes1, 2. 

Dechra says patients also recover more rapidly2, potentially avoiding hospitalisation and allowing them to get home sooner.

Zenalpha contains the active ingredients 0.5 mg/ml medetomidine hydrochloride and 10mg/ml vatinoxan hydrochloride. 

Medetomidine is an alpha-2 agonist used for its sedative and analgesic properties. 

Vatinoxan is a peripherally selective alpha-2 antagonist which Dechra says has limited penetration across the blood-brain barrier, so it works to antagonise only the alpha-2 receptors located in the periphery, reducing cardiovascular side effects without impacting the quality of sedation or analgesia.

In a study of 223 dogs1 comparing a traditional alpha-2 agonist with Zenalpha, Zenalpha was found to minimise cardiovascular side effects while preserving reliable sedation and analgesia. 

Claire Westoby, brand manager at Dechra said: ‘The next generation of alpha-2 agonists have evolved to provide the same effective and reliable sedation and analgesia, but with reduced cardiovascular side effects and a reduced chance of vomiting.

"This improves the sedation experience for the canine patient, as well as reducing the associated stress commonly experienced by veterinary teams and dog owners.”

Matt Gurney FRCVS, an RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and hospital director at Anderson Moores, said: “It is really exciting to see the launch of an innovative new product, especially one with a unique mechanism of action that will improve the sedation experience for the vet team and our patients. 

"Zenalpha not only provides a solution to cases where IV placement is not possible and a rapid onset IM option is required, but it also offers a rapid and complete recovery which ensures that dogs can be reunited with their owners and return home as soon as possible.”

Zenalpha is presented in a 10 ml glass vial in individually packed cardboard boxes. 

For more information: www.dechra.co.uk/zenalpha or contact your local Dechra territory manager. 

To watch Matt Gurney’s ‘Zennovation in sedation – the next generation of alpha-2 agonists’: www.dechra.co.uk/academy.

References

  1. Turunen H. and Zimmerman N. Safety of a medetomidine- vatinoxan combinationdrug (Zenalpha®) in dogs - a clinical field trial. Proc. IVECCS 2022, IVECCS, San Antonio, 7-11 September
  2. Zenalpha EU Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). European Medicines Agency website. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/zenalpha-epar-product-information_ en.pdf. Accessed 29 June, 2022

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