Pharmacokinetics of Ponazuril in Alpacas

Principal investigator:

Jennifer Halleran, DVM
North Carolina State University
1/1/26–12/31/26
$21,966

Gastrointestinal parasitism is one of the most common causes of disease in camelids. Eimeria macusaniensis is a large coccidian parasite that can cause fatal intestinal inflammation in alpacas and llamas. E. macusaniensis can be challenging to diagnose because clinically affected animals show vague clinical signs, including severe weight loss, diarrhea, weakness, and even sudden death, especially in young or stressed animals. Unfortunately, treatment options for coccidiosis in alpacas are very limited, and no drugs are specifically approved for this use. Ponazuril is used to treat protozoal parasites medication that has been used safely and effectively to treat similar parasites in horses and other animals, but its safety and effectiveness have not been fully studied in alpacas. Ponazuril is an attractive treatment option because of the infrequent dosing and low associated toxicity, however there are no pharmacokinetic trials to determine the most appropriate dosing regimen. Alpacas have been shown to metabolize medications differently from llamas and ruminants. Due to these differences, doses that are effective in llamas may not always provide reliable protection in alpacas. Therefore, this proposal seeks to characterize the pharmacokinetics of a single oral dose of ponazuril administered to healthy alpacas. Following a single dose, the alpacas will have serial blood samples collected to determine pharmacokinetic parameters to determine a safe and effective dosing regimen.