The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Vetoquinol USA’s Imoxi Topical Solution for Cats.

Imoxi Topical Solution for Cats (imidacloprid and moxidectin) is the first generic version of a topical imidacloprid and moxidectin product for the prevention of heartworm disease, the killing of adult fleas and treatment of flea infestations, the treatment and control of ear mite infestations, and for certain life cycle phases of hookworm and roundworm intestinal parasites.

Approval for the prescription generic came five months after the FDA authorized Imoxi Topical Solution for Dogs, which contains the same active ingredients. The combination of imidacloprid and moxidectin in a topical solution was shown to be a safe and effective treatment for canine heartworm in a 2005 study.

Bayer Animal Health earned FDA approval of their antiparasitic, Advantage Multi for Cats, in 2007, after additional studies showed that a topical solution of imidacloprid and moxidectin was also safe and effective in treating cats infected with heartworm and other parasites.

Generic Imoxi Topical Solution for Cats contains the same active ingredients (imidacloprid and moxidectin) in the same concentrations and dosage form as Bayer’s brand name version.

The generic version will be sold in three dosages based on a cat’s weight: 2 to 5 pounds, 5.1 to 9 pounds, and 9.1 pounds or more. The medication is administered monthly.

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