Although a number of versions of generic drugs that contain the deworming medication ivermectin have been approved for use in Canada since 2003, demand still exists for even cheaper generic drugs that are available in the United States.
An advertisement in a prairie farm paper recently offered special pricing for large quantities of pour-on ivermectin, as well as an offer to “meet at the border.” Repeated messages left on the voice mail of the North Dakota telephone number in that ad went unreturned.
For cattle producers who prefer to buy their ivermectin in Canada, several recent calls to retailers showed that it pays to shop around.
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A Manitoba veterinary clinic was selling five-litre jugs of Megamectin, a pour-on made by Novartis, for $180 each, while a farm supply store in Brandon was selling Noromectin pour-on in the same size for the same price. A clinic in Lumsden, Sask., offered Noromectin pour-on for $284.24 for five litres.
But at the Turtle Mountain Veterinary Clinic in Bottineau, North Dakota, near the border with Manitoba, five litres of Noromectin pour-on cost $105 US, or $123 Cdn.
“The savings are substantial,” said Martin Unrau, president of the Manitoba Cattle Producers’ Association. “If people want to run down there and buy their ivermectin, we don’t have a problem with that.”
A call to the Minot Veterinary Clinic in Minot, N.D., found that “quite a few” Canadian cattle producers are making the trip and “aren’t having trouble taking it back across the border.” An employee at the clinic added that 60 cases have been sold to Canadian ranchers this year.
A five-litre bottle of Vetrimec, which is not approved by Health Canada for use in Canada, is available at the clinic for $89.75 US, or $105.50 Cdn. The Minot clinic also sells the brand-name products Ivomec and Dectomax for $247 US, or $290 Cdn, and $305 US, or $359 Cdn, each, respectively.
The local sales representative for Merial Canada said that the price of Ivomec has fallen in recent years, from around $600 for a five-litre jug in 1999 to $285 as of last fall, when the price was cut by a further $100.
A spokesperson for Health Canada said 13 treatments that contain the active ingredient ivermectin, of which eight are generic and the rest brand-name, have been approved for use in Canada. The first of them was approved in 1982, with the generics coming later, around 2002.
“The use of unapproved drugs poses potential risks to human health and food safety since these drugs have not been evaluated by Health Canada,” said Paul Duchesne, adding that under existing regulations, animal owners may be able to import certain unapproved drugs, such as generic ivermectin, for use in their own animals.
The importation of unapproved drugs is limited to a three-month supply, or a single course of treatment, whichever is less. Health Canada does offer a searchable database for approved drugs on its website.
Mike Hutton, Canadian country manager for Merial, said the price difference for generics between Canada and the United States is likely the result of the length of time required to gain approval from Health Canada for new drugs.
Generic ivermectin has been allowed in the U.S. since 1997, while in Canada it began appearing in 2002.
“So you’ve got a lag in the life cycle,” Hutton said. “The approval process in Canada is slower than in other markets. Probably you would see similar pricing in Canada as in the U.S. if the drug approval process worked as fast, both for pioneer drugs and the ensuing competition.”
While both brand-name and generics may contain the same active ingredient, Hutton said real differences exist in formulation and quality, and especially in veterinary technical support. This accounts for the difference in price, he added.
