Boehringer Ingelheim launches the first liquid solution for hypertension in cats

Ingelheim, Germany, 5 September 2018 – Boehringer Ingelheim launches Semintra^® 10 mg/ml Oral Solution in selected European countries for the treatment of feline hypertension. It provides a new, well-accepted and easy-to-give liquid formulation, making management of feline hypertension easier for cat owners, and veterinarians.

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is often referred to as the silent killer as it is very hard to spot early. It can have negative effects on cats’ vital organs including the kidneys, eyes, brain, and heart. Just as in humans, if left untreated, it can lead to serious illness or even shorten a cat’s life.^{1, 2}

It is a common clinical problem, with up to 1 in 5 cats over the age of 7 being affected^3-5. Additionally, hypertension usually develops along with other diseases, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD). Up to 2 out of 3 cats with hypertension also have CKD and when one is not managed well, it could potentially worsen the other. Semintra is already licensed as a 4mg/ml oral solution in Europe and many other countries (outside the US) for the management of cats with CKD.

Cats require specialised treatments designed to meet their specific needs. As Boehringer Ingelheim remains committed to animal wellbeing, Semintra^® was specifically designed with cats in mind to provide safe, reliable, long-term control of blood pressure.

Shawn Hooker,
Global Head of Strategic
Business Unit Pet Vet

“We are proud to continue to set new standards of care for cats to optimise their health and well-being through the veterinarian. Early disease detection and early treatment are key to ensure cats live longer and happier lives. With Semintra^® we offer a pet owner-friendly, easy-to-give solution to help raise the quality of life of cats with hypertension while providing reliable long-term blood pressure control,” shared Shawn Hooker, Global Head of Strategic Business Unit Pet Vet at Boehringer Ingelheim.

Following marketing authorisation in the EU, Semintra^® is now approved as a veterinary medicine for the treatment of feline systemic hypertension. It will be launched in a number of European countries during September 2018.

For more information on Semintra^®, please visit European Medicines Agency.

Boehringer Ingelheim
Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.

Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s top 20 companies. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of nearly 18.1 billion euros. R&D expenditure, exceeding three billion euros, corresponded to 17.0 per cent of net sales.

As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success, rather than short-term profit. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: https://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal wellbeing through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of 3.9 billion euro and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information click here.

Intended audiences
This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany, and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business.

Footnotes

¹Elliott J, et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2008;17:754.

²Taylor SS, et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2017;19(3):288–303.

³Bijsmans ES, et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2015;29(3):855–861.

⁴Bodey AR, et al. J Small Anim Pract. 1998;39(12):567–573. 5. Jepson RE. J Feline Med Surg. 2011;13(1):25–34.