BIVI Launches Equine Joint Health Management Program ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (April 27, 2009) – Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI), announces the formation of the equine Joint Health Management (JHM) program, an education program for veterinarians and horse owners designed to prevent and treat equine joint problems.

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of joint dysfunction in horses. Acute injury and overuse can lead to chronic joint pain. BIVI has formed a collaboration with Dr. David Frisbie, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS, who is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University and part of their Equine Orthopaedic Research Center as well as a partner in Equine Sports Medicine PLLC, Pilot Point Texas. The goal of this collaboration is to develop an educational series to help veterinarians and horse owners not only prevent joint problems in horses but also treat existing problems.

Dr. Frisbie has focused the last 15 years of research/clinical practice on diagnostics and therapeutics for joint disease and he will present his latest findings as part of the JHM educational series developed by BIVI. The JHM series for veterinarians will kick off on May 12, 2009, with Dr. Frisbie in Fort Worth, Texas. The series, which is free of charge and open to all veterinarians, will continue through August with stops in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey.

In addition, horse owners and veterinarians are invited to participate in the JHM webinar hosted on TheHorse.com on Tuesday, May 19 at 8:00 p.m (EST).

“Education on the proper prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis is an important part of improving the health of horses,” says Frisbie. “With the Joint Health Management program, we are taking steps in the right direction to ensure wellness.”

Frisbie’s presentations also will discuss the recent research findings related to two of the joint health management products offered by BIVI. Surpass® is a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) cream that BIVI has recently acquired from IDEXX. It is used for effective control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis. And Hyvisc®, an intra-articular injection, offers a dependable solution for treatment of joint dysfunction.

“The Joint Health Management education program, with the expertise of Dr. David Frisbie, will provide a great resource to veterinarians and horse owners in improving the management of osteoarthritis,” says Matt Musselman, director, equine segment, BIVI. “With our recent acquisition of the Surpass product, we can now offer our customers a first and second line of defense against equine joint pain.”

For more information on the Joint Health Management program, dates for the education series and webinar, please visit www.jointhealthmanagement.com.