Equine health triad seeks to spur research into bisphosphonates

Three equine health organizations have released a request for proposals for research projects focusing on the use of bisphosphonates, a class of drugs that began to be used in racing within the last five years that have drawn attention because of the potential for deleterious, long-term impacts on bone health.

The three organizations – the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation – had previously stated in that they were seeking additional research on the medications, which are approved for use in horses 4 years old or older to treat navicular disease. However, use of the substances is regarded to be dangerous in younger horses due to the potential that the drugs could lead to problems in maintaining bone growth and density.

The organizations said that the topics they were interested in studying include the development of sensitive testing protocols to detect the use of the substances well beyond the current technology, which has a limit of perhaps 120 days; the study of the drugs’ long-term impacts on bone healing and remodeling; and the possible pain-killing effects of the drugs.

“The expeditious development, funding, and execution of targeted tactical research will be critical to our industry’s efforts to effectively regulate the use of bisphosphonates and prevent their abuse,” said Alex Waldrop, the chairman of the RMTC, an industry-funded group that conducts research on medications and drug testing and develops policies based on that research.

Bisphosphonates were previously rumored to be use in young horses destined for auction. Anecdotal evidence has also emerged that horsemen may have been using them on the racetrack for their potential analgesic impact. Many officials say that use of the medications has recently dried up due to the concerns over their use.