A New Way To Battle BRD- Zelnate By Bayer Animal Health

At the beginning of summer, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays participated in a special media preview for a new animal health product that is being officially rolled out this month. The product is Zelnate, which is based on a totally new approach to help fight Bovine Respiratory Disease in Beef Cattle. Bayer HealthCare LLC is now introducing Zelnate to the US Beef Cattle industry and call it a DNA Immunostimulant. Zelnate is effective in treating BRD due to Mannheimia haemolytica. Developed in alignment with Bayer’s pursuit of ‘Science for a Better Life,’ Zelnate is the first immunostimulant that effectively reduces mortality and lung lesions by enhancing the animal’s own immune system to help fight this infectious disease, potentially reducing the need for antibiotics. 

 

Hays talked with several Bayer officials at the preview for Zelnate that was held on the Perry Ranch in northeastern Kansas. He features comments from Dr. Jim Sears, Dr. Jason Nickell and Todd Firkins on today's edition of the Beef Buzz, which can be heard by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below. 

 

 

“The economic impact of BRD is about $1 billion a year in the United States alone. High stress factors such as weaning, shipping, commingling or adverse environmental conditions can impair the immune system, making cattle more susceptible to illness,” said Jim Sears, DVM, senior technical services veterinarian at Bayer. “An animal with a strong immune system will be better able to withstand infections, potentially reducing the need for therapeutics in disease treatment and prevention settings.” 

 

Due to expertise and a long-time commitment to treating BRD, Bayer formulated Zelnate with a unique composition that rapidly triggers the animal’s innate immune system, preparing it to better fight infection when challenged by Mannheimia haemolytica. Zelnate is not an antibiotic nor is it a vaccine. Antibiotics are used for treatment by selectively targeting specific bacterial pathogens. Vaccines are used for preventing disease by triggering a specific immune response only to those pathogens included in the vaccine. DNA Immunostimulants are a new way to fight BRD by jumpstarting the innate immune system and enhancing the body’s own ability to respond quickly and effectively.

 

Zelnate has been shown to counter the multi-factorial complex known as BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica for cattle four months of age or older, when administered at the time of, or within 24 hours after, a perceived stressful event. In a clinical study, Zelnate significantly reduced mortality and lung lesions in comparison to cattle that did not receive it. 

 

“With the growing pressure on the cattle industry to continue providing a healthy and abundant food supply, there is a strong need for innovations like Zelnate that can help keep animals healthy and productive,” Dr. Sears said. “Zelnate provides a new non-antibiotic option that producers can use to complement current approaches for treating BRD.”