REASSURING FINDINGS ABOUT POPULAR PPID TREATMENT
A groundbreaking 15-year study from Michigan State University provides insights into how the drug pergolide aids in the long-term management of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), a common endocrine disorder affecting aging horses.
Pergolide, (brand name Prascend), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011 to treat horses with PPID, also known as Cushing’s disease. Caused by hormonal imbalances stemming from an overactive pituitary gland, PPID can produce a variety of signs, including a slow-to-shed hair coat, muscle-wasting and lowered immune function.
After FDA approval was granted, 30 PPID horses from the original efficacy study were enrolled in MSU’s long-term clinical trial. “We were primarily looking for any adverse effects of the medication,” says Hal Schott, DVM, PhD, who has headed the…