Pfizer Inc.'s animal health division announced United States Food and Drug Administration approval of Convenia, cefovecin sodium, the first and only antibiotic for dogs and cats available in a single veterinarian-administered injectable dose.

Convenia provides up to 14 days of antibiotic treatment in a single dose for the most common skin infections in dogs and cats – the No. 1 reason pets are prescribed antibiotics.  

Most of the development work on the drug was done at Pfizer's Veterinary Medicine Research and Development office in Kalamazoo. And the product will eventually be manufactured in Portage at a new, $35 million plant.

By relieving pet owners of the often impractical responsibility of giving pills to their pets several times a day for weeks at a time, Convenia ensures the antibiotic course of treatment is completed on time, giving the pet the best chance for treatment success.

The third in a string of new companion animal products in 15 months – following the approvals of the first canine obesity medication and the first veterinary drug to control vomiting in dogs, both in early 2007 – Convenia represents yet another first from Pfizer Animal Health. Convenia is now available at veterinary practices nationwide.

More at www.convenia.com or www.pfizerah.com.