Evaluating Drug for Chronic Bronchitis

Theophylline is an important and commonly used drug to treat canine bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. There are no veterinary-specific formulations of this drug and veterinarians have to rely on formulations approved for people – formulations that are scarce in the United States. An oral, modified, compounded version of theophylline (MCT) is available through a large and well known veterinary compounding pharmacy. Researchers recently established single-dose pharmacokinetics of the MCT and found it was well absorbed in the dog’s body with potential twice-daily dosing. Researchers will conduct multi-dose studies to confirm these findings and determine whether the MCT can achieve therapeutic concentrations at steady state to maximize the drug’s effectiveness. Findings will help inform safety and appropriate therapeutic range of MCT in dogs with bronchitis.