In an August 12 news release on behalf of the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, Amy Young reported that Heather Knych, DVM, and her team at the Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory recently received the 2025 Dechra Analgesia Prize from the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. The team was recognized for its publication “The impact of transdermal application site on pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacodynamics of buprenorphine in horses” in the journal Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (VAA). 

Dechra sponsors the Dechra Analgesia Prize annually. It is given to the best research article focusing on pain management published in VAA. The award recognizes outstanding published research that advances clinical pain management and analgesia in veterinary science. 

STAR program project

The vet school’s Center for Equine Health funded the team’s study. It served as DVM student Rachael Hoh’s research project through the Students Training in Advanced Research (STAR) Program. STAR offers opportunities for veterinary students to experience veterinary and biomedical research during the summer months.

Buprenorphine is a pain reliever veterinarians often administer intravenously to horses after surgeries. Although it is useful for controlling pain, the medication can cause adverse effects. These include reduced gut motility, muscle tremors and excitation. This study sought to evaluate newly available formulations developed to apply directly to the skin (transdermal). This type of application could allow for less frequent dosing while maintaining pain relief and resulting in fewer side effects.

The researchers evaluated different administration sites. They ultimately reported that buprenorphine delivery to the skin of the neck yielded sustained pain relief with minimal adverse effects. It will be necessary to conduct additional studies. However, these results suggest that transdermal application of buprenorphine may be beneficial for long-term pain relief in horses.

The award panel praised the study for its intricate design to detect small variations in pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics of dermally administered buprenorphine. Panelists agreed that the outcomes support a novel method for alleviating pain in horses.