Elanco gets US FDA emergency nod for dog drug as threat of flesh

(Reuters) -Elanco Animal Health said on Friday it had received an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its flea and tick drug to treat dogs infected with a flesh-eating parasite found near the U.S.-Mexico border.

This is the first time the FDA has granted such an authorization for treating New World screwworm, a type of fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of animals. The parasite can cause severe wounds and even death if not treated quickly.

“When it comes to emerging animal health threats, we need to be proactive, not reactive,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement.

The FDA issues emergency use authorizations to allow the use of unapproved treatments during public health threats when no alternatives are available.

The move foll