Sphingomyelin-Rich Lipid Extract Collar for Canine Atopic Dermatitis

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a chronic skin disease which can be very frustrating for veterinarians and pet guardians. Adherence to treatment is key when managing CAD cases. For this reason, we developed and tested a new product for CAD (Atopivet(®) collar, Bioiberica SAU, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain) which is easy to administer and could help reduce monthly treatment costs. This novel product is a plastic collar containing a lipid extract (Biosfeen(®), Bioiberica, S.A.U., Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain) which has been studied previously and has been shown to have beneficial effects on skin health. The studies reported in this article show how this lipid extract is adequately released when incorporated into a collar presentation. They also demonstrate the collar’s good efficacy and safety after evaluating its effects in a multicentric, prospective, uncontrolled pilot study in client-owned dogs with naturally occurring CAD. It is concluded that this collar can become a useful therapy to be considered within a multimodal approach to CAD, providing veterinarians with more tools in order to define the best tailor-made approach to each particular case, as well as providing pet guardians with a solution that could eventually make their lives easier. ABSTRACT: The management of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is complex, and it needs to be multimodal, combining topical and systemic therapies. Given that the currently available options are not always totally effective and might have some associated adverse effects, novel alternatives are needed. For this reason, a new collar for CAD was developed with 2.5% of a sphingomyelin-rich lipid extract (LE) with proven benefits for skin health. The release of the active ingredient when incorporated into the collar was tested in vitro, showing an adequate kinetic profile. Then, the efficacy and safety of the collar were assessed in 12 client-owned dogs with CAD in a pilot study. After eight weeks, the dogs experienced significant clinical improvements on the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI)-4, Pruritus Index for Canine Atopic Dermatitis (PCAD) and Pruritus Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS) scores, without any adverse effects. Additionally, further in vitro studies were performed, indicating that this LE collar should be compatible with antiparasitic collars (with deltamethrin or imidacloprid/flumethrin) if worn simultaneously. Given the observed benefits of this LE collar, combining it with other CAD therapies could potentially allow for drug sparing, reduction in adverse effects, enhanced owner compliance, and reduced treatment costs.