Should Injectable Meloxicam Be Approved for Use in Cats?

Abstract

Injectable meloxicam remains widely used in feline practice despite its association with acute kidney injury (AKI). Evidence of this association was apparent in the results of a clinical trial submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of a New Animal Drug Application (NADA) Freedom of Information Summary. These data, however, were omitted from the published version of that clinical trial in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). The study's financial sponsorship by the drug manufacturer raises ethical concerns, especially given meloxicam's ongoing and enthusiastic promotion by veterinary organizations also financially supported by the manufacturer. This viewpoint questions meloxicam's approval process and highlights the potential influence of pharmaceutical industry sponsorship on veterinary prescribing practices and policy.