Biodyl in the US??

[aretoo]

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I've been following the polo pony saga and I have one thing that is puzzling me. According to this article: http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/search/content/sports/2009/04/23/Polo_Ponies_Follow_0424.html


"Biodyl, a vitamin supplement that is banned in the United States, emerged as a possible culprit in the deaths when Lechuza Caracas' polo team captain told an Argentine newspaper it was administered to the horses.
But the Lechuza Caracas team issued a statement today clarifying that Biodyl wasn't used in the horses, but rather a generic version created by Franck's Pharmacy.
"Only the horses treated with the compound became sick and died within three hours of treatment," the team said in the statement. "The horses that were not treated remain healthy and normal."
Belden, who was not immediately available for comment, has said he is one of the team's vets and worked with Argentine team veterinarian Felix Crespo. Crespo is not named in the letter.
Both Biodyl, manufactured in France, and a generic version, are banned in the United States. The manufacture of it is illegal, said Miami attorney J.B. Harris."


Is the Biodyl supplement actually banned in the US? Or is it just not licensed in the US? Not sure how veterinary natural health products are licensed in the US (I am assuming differently than Canada). If it is actually banned, does anyone know why?


Thanks!

 

[aretoo]

OK, another question - if Biodyl is basically just a vitamin supplement, why was a veterinarian's prescription required to compound it?

 

[StillDreaming]

I'm pretty sure the FDA has banned it in the US... from all the research i have done this has been my conclusion, but don;t quote me on it 100%

 

[StillDreaming]

OK, another question - if Biodyl is basically just a vitamin supplement, why was a veterinarian's prescription required to compound it?

This i know the answer to. In order for something to be compounded, you have to be licensed to do so. And in order for a licensed compounding pharmacist to compound something, he needs to have a written prescription with the ingredients listed out on the prescription. It is not legal for a vet to compound without a license to do so.

 

[OSJ]

I have been wondering the same thing. Let me know if you figure out why.

 

[meadow36]

It's not necessarily illegal, that article is not worded properly. It just isn't FDA approved. The polo people had the substance compounded at a pharmacy, so they were able to get around the laws. The individual ingredients are not illegal. The substances marketed under the trade name Biodyl (and the generic component) is illegal to distribute. But "tweaking" the formula by the pharmacy and calling it "Fred's Formula" made them get around the laws. There's nothing illegal in it. I think in the future this incident is going to wreak havoc on compounding veterinary drugs.

 

[StillDreaming]

I think in the future this incident is going to wreak havoc on compounding veterinary drugs.

I agree. There is a lot of compounding a lot of stuff that would never even been considered in the human world, and little control. I mean, the compounding business is highly controlled, but a lot of placed will stretch the laws so that they just cover their butts, and no one has said anything because they are still within the legal limits. I think this situation will change this drastically and you are going to see a lot of places stretching a little less and covering their butts a lot more...

 

[Gordo]

From what I understood is that its not FDA approved. I know it has to be compounded and that was part of the problem that killed the horses but I am not exactly sure why it requires a rx form a vet. Maybe cause it is an injectable, I really dont know