A common question from many pet parents seeing side-effects in their dogs following the administration of Librela is 'How long will it take to clear from the body and is there anything I can do to help in the meantime?''
According to the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) public assessment report, the half-life of Bedinvetmab (anti-Nerve Growth Factor) in dogs is approximately 10 to 12 days.
This means that the concentration of the drug in the body will roughly halve every 10 to 12 days.
Based on this, the graph below shows the percentage decline of Librela in the system over 60 days*.
*NOTEthis is an estimation however, as a particular dog's health, age, metabolism, the presence of medical conditions and other factors can all influence the actual clearance time.
How Does The Body Eliminate Bedinvetmab?
Monoclonal antibodies - unlike small molecule drugs - are primarily broken down by macrophages in the reticuloendothelial (RE) system.
These specialised cells of the immune system, found in the liver, lymph nodes, spleen and lymphoid tissue of the gut, use proteolytic enzymes to reduce antibodies to peptides and amino acids, which can be recycled by the body or excreted.
This process is generally much slower than the breakdown of small drugs by the liver, which Bedinvetmab takes longer to decline to a level which has no discernible effect.
How Can The Body Be Supported During This Time?
At present, there is no practical way to speed up the degradation of Bedinvetmab because it depends on the normal, healthy functioning of immune system mechanisms.
It is possible however, to reduce the risk of potential side-effects and / or help the body cope more successfully with adverse events which do arise, by providing nutritional support, as follows:
1. Detoxification Support (2 - 3 drops 3 times daily on a teaspoon of fresh food - not kibble - for 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off) helps maintain normal liver, kidney and bowel function, which can be disturbed by anti-NGF.
2. PEA has been shown in clinical studies to have a neuroprotective effect, which supports healthy nerve function.
3. Lion's Mane is reported to stimulate Nerve Growth Factor production which may reduce the duration of any anti-NGD induced adverse reactions that occur. (Enter vincethevet15 at checkout on Time Health's website to receive 15 % discount.)
4. Immunity support normal immune system function, which is important for the normal clearance of Librela from the body.
Give this with the supplements above, and after 4 -5 days if the stools remain well-formed introduce Vitality.
5. Vitality provides a rich supply of antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory properties, it also provides nutrients important for tissue regeneration and repair.