Johannesburg, South Africa, December 2024 – A crisis is unfolding that could cost the lives of thousands of pets across South Africa. V-Tech, a leading compound veterinary pharmaceutical company, has been locked in a dispute with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) over the life-saving medication, Trilostane – a drug essential for treating adrenal disorders in dogs and cats.
In October 2023, the dispute reached the courts, where a judge mandated that SAHPRA and V-Tech negotiate the release of an initial batch of Trilostane. Yet, despite this judicial intervention, SAHPRA’s handling of the situation has been mired in delays, misinformation, and bureaucratic chaos.
Shockingly, SAHPRA provided factually incorrect and ill-informed information to the Minister of Health, further complicating the process. While V-Tech managed to secure a batch of Trilostane under stringent conditions, SAHPRA’s restrictive instructions rendered its use impossible. This leaves thousands of animals suffering from conditions such as Cushing’s disease with no viable treatment options, effectively sentencing them to a slow and painful death.
“We are witnessing an unprecedented disregard for animal welfare,” said Dr Johan Oosthuyse, CEO at V-Tech. “Every day of delay costs lives. Pets who depend on Trilostane are being left to die because of a tangled web of misinformation and bureaucratic red tape.”
Without immediate resolution, the fallout will be catastrophic for countless pet owners and veterinarians who are left helpless to manage these treatable conditions. This escalating crisis raises serious questions about SAHPRA’s commitment to public and animal health.
The time for delays is over. V-Tech is calling on SAHPRA to take immediate action to resolve this crisis, release the withheld medication, and ensure that such life-threatening mishandling never happens again.
