Letters: Product misidentified in study

Product misidentified in study

The article published by Strauss et al. in the January 2005 edition of Veterinary Medicine refers to the use of a product—trade name Sanova—for the treatment of otitis externa infections in dogs caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This reference was an inadvertent error caused by the shipment of incorrect Material Safety Data Sheets along with the prototype product. It was not due to any fault of the authors.

Sanova is an antimicrobial processing aid that is Food and Drug Administration approved as acidified sodium chlorite (Title 21 CFR 173.325) for use in the disinfection and sanitation of raw foods (poultry, beef, seafood, and produce) during or following the harvesting/slaughter process.

The prototype product evaluated by Strauss et al. was especially formulated in 1994 by Alcide Corporation (now Ecolab Inc.) for the possible treatment of canine otitis externa. While based on the same acidified sodium chlorite chemistry as Sanova, it was uniquely formulated for the conditions of an infected external ear canal. Most significantly, the prototype product contained an acidulant specifically chosen for its persistent antimicrobial effects plus a combination of surfactant materials and thickeners to aid in the breakdown of accumulated debris and exudate. Unquestionably, the primary reason for the positive treatment outcomes reported by Strauss et al. was a direct result of the unique combination of actives and excipients in this formulation.

Practitioners should therefore be aware that given the very significant formulation differences existing between the Sanova processing aid product and the prototype otitis externa formulation, similar clinical outcomes cannot and should not be anticipated.

Regrettably all further development of this prototype product has been discontinued.

Dr. G. Kere Kemp

Vice President Antimicrobial Product Development

Ecolab Inc.

8561 154th Ave. NE

Redmond, WA 98052