Outrages : Outrageous conduct as I see it.
Updated: 4/2/2006; 9:23:25 PM.

 

 
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Wednesday, March 01, 2006



CorruptoCo Blogfest: HRT Horses, What Happens When The Market Disappears

From "Black Beauty" to "Seabiscuit," horses have long had a special place in the human heart, and Hollywood. Now a coalition of animal lovers, and movie stars, are fighting to save thousands of horses who could soon be facing death. It has all the makings of a Hollywood movie -- except a happy ending.  (This post is dedicated to Missouri Mule, who I'm wishing for a quick recovery and soon to be back in her saddle)

A horse called Missy is part of a giant secret. Or, if not exactly a secret, then an uncomfortable fact. Thousands upon thousands of Missy's, used to make a drug for humans, are suddenly in danger of becoming horse meat. Why? One phrase: Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.

For a half century the pharmaceutical giant, Wyeth, has been marketing HRT under the name Premarin, which, since it was FDA approved back in 1942, has been considered almost a miracle drug. It has also been incredibly profitable.

As recently as 2001 annual revenue from Premarin was more than $2 billion. Nine million women relied on it to relieve the symptoms of menopause. And where did this wonder drug come from? The urine of pregnant horses. Wyeth signed contracts with hundreds of farmers, most of them in western Canada, to breed tens of thousands of horses annually. And the result of all those pregnancies? Lots and lots and lots of foals, baby horses.

For years the way the mothers of these animals were used, in the production of Premarin, has infuriated animal activists. Pregnant mares were confined to narrow stalls for more than 20 hours a day, for five months at a stretch, all the while strapped to cumbersome urine collection devices.

The USDA called the industry a model of self regulation, but opponents say it's cruel, inhumane.

"That to me is nothing short of torture," says Dr. Ray Kellosalmi, a gynecologist and horse advocate. "It's subtle torture, but it is still torture... Horses evolved through millennia in wide open spaces. They're not animals that should be subject to factory farming conditions."

And what of the foals, the by-product of these Premarin farms? They are usually sent to auction, along with those mothers whose production has waned. They can be bought for recreational use, or as often happens, purchased by what are called "killer buyers," who send them to feedlots to be fattened up for slaughter. Horse meat sells well in Europe and Japan. That is how it has been for half a century, with perhaps a million horses giving their lives for Premarin. Then, in July 2002, a completely unexpected announcement changed everything. A portion of the women's health initiative study tested the effectiveness and safety of hormone replacement therapy. That portion of the study was halted when the women taking the Premarin-type medication were found to be suffering from higher rates of heart attack, blood clots, breast cancer and dementia.

Independent of that, Wyeth began marketing a lower dose version of Premarin-type drugs. The demand for premarin products dropped dramatically. By the end of 2003, Wyeth canceled the contracts of more than half of the premarin farmers. "The amount of horses needed went from 40,000 to 20,000 overnight," says Dr. Kellosalmi.

Canada The Winnipeg Free Press carried an editorial on September 14, 2001 by Frances Russell. Boasting 18,267 mares harnessed six months a year to the "pee line" and the world's only pregnant mares' urine factory, Manitoba is proud to be known as the PMU capital. But the $44-million industry has once again been getting a big, black eye in the news.

Amy Allina, program director for the National Women's Health Network, a nonprofit education and advocacy group based in Washington, told The Post: "Unfortunately, Premarin has been promoted for many, many years for a wide variety of indications for which there isn't any evidence to prove it's effective, such as the prevention of heart disease, prevention of memory loss, making your skin look younger. "Premarin is not simply a harmless aid for getting through menopause. It can increase other health problems and women need to know that." Even the drug's manufacturer advises Premarin may increase the risk of uterine cancer and blood clots. And other studies suggest it may pose an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Nor are Premarin's difficulties the only problem for Manitoba's urine business. No matter how hard they try, neither Wyeth-Ayerst nor Manitoba can do much to stop the black eye the national and international media keeps giving them for the inherent cruelty of the industry and, especially, the cruelty of the fall foal auction. The biggest auction occurred here last week and TV and print journalists from Canada and the U.S. converged. The stories and pictures from Winnipeg Livestock Sales have been graphic. Most of Manitoba's PMU foals and used-up mares -- 16,200 last year alone -- are destined for the feed lot and slaughterhouse.

Ellen Buck, an equine veterinarian with the Humane Society of the U.S. who had come to Winnipeg, told the paper that while foals should be at least six months' old before they are taken from their mothers, most of the ones here looked to be between two and three months. The story reported that the separated mares and foals kept up a continuous plaintive whinnying for each other and also that many were sick, hardly able to walk, and only skin and bone. The writer noted that the auction ring's large iron door slammed on the head of one of the foals and a still-lactating mare's udder was pai
nfully swollen.

And Missy, what of her? There is a girl, 10 years old, named Beth Lowetz, who worked at 4H fairs to save money. And just in time, she had enough to adopt, and Missy won't have to know what she missed.

What can You Do. PMURescue.org

Visit UAN's online sanctuary for PMU horses needing homes. More than 50 equine rescue organizations post adoptable horses, and there are currently more than 240 horses listed. So far, approximately 600 horses have found permanent and loving homes through PMURescue.org. [visit the Web site]

At the Premarin Foal Auctions

A UAN rescuer gives her first-person account of a trip to the Canadian auctions to rescue the Premarin [read]

Send a Gift to the Premarin Mares and Foals

Make a gift that will help us continue to spread the word about this bitter pill and save the desperate horses. [donate]

There are several alternatives making the cruelty completely unnecessary. The demand for Premarin is coming down and so are the number of suffering mares. Mares will normally live for twenty to thirty years. Most Premarin mares will last about five years. Every year one-quarter of the mares are sent to slaughter and replaced.

The good news is that Premarin is the only menopause drug made with animal-derived oestrogen. Alternatives include Estratab, Estraderm, Estrace, Ortho-Est and Remifemin.



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